The Accident
by MingoGirl
Summary: Alice/Hatter romance. Enjoy. Rated T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first Alice in Wonderland fic, so it's probably not the best, but I hope you like it. I own nothing but my ideas. Enjoy.**

"A ball?" Alice repeated. "Really?"

"Yes a ball!" Mirana gushed. "How else would we celebrate your return?"

"Tea?"Alice said dryly.

"Oh, but that's no fun! At a ball you can sing, and dance, and mingle…"

"_Singing? Dancing?_" Alice said. "Who do you think I am?"

"The Champion of Underland," she answered, obviously unfamiliar with the phrase.

Alice let it drop. "When is it?" she asked.

"Tonight."

"Tonight?" Alice cried.

"When else would it be?"

Alice never got to answer. A loud crash interrupted her. The crash was followed by a small blur running around the corner.

"I tol' ye she was back!" Mally cried.

Thackery ran up behind her, but he didn't make it far before her ran into Alice.

"A-A-Alice!" he yelped as he tugged on his disheveled ears.

"I tol' you!" Mally repeated as she climbed up onto Alice's shoulder.

"You're terribly late," McTwisp grumbled as he too came around the corner.

"Well I'm going to fix that by not being late anymore," Alice declared.

"'Ow are ye gonna do tha'?" Mally asked.

"I'm going to stay in Underland, if I'm allowed."

"If you're allowed?"Mirana asked.

"Well. I don't know the protocol for someone from Overland staying in Underland so-"

"Alice you are out Champion, you can stay here as long as you wish. I already have room made up for you."

"Well then I'm staying here until the end of my days."

There was a chorus of cheers from everyone, even the usually reserved McTwisp.

"It seems I have missed a piece of fantastic news," Chessur said, appearing in front of Alice.

"Alice is gonna stay in Underland!" Mally announced.

"Well that is fantastic!" Chessur purred.

Without warning, Alice was knocked onto her back. Atop her was the Bandersnatch, who promptly lick her from chin to hairline. Mally was sent flying halfway across Marmoreal, but the Bandersnatch took no notice, he just kept licking Alice.

"Can't! Breathe!" she gasped.

Seeming to understand her words, the Bandersnatch backed off of her and allowed her to stand.

Alice wiped her face on her sleeve, but to not avail. There was too much saliva on her face.

McTwisp offered her a handkerchief, which she took gladly. As soon as it touched her skin, her entire face was dry. The handkerchief was not soaked; on the contrary, it was completely dry.

"Minor enchantment," McTwisp mumbled as he took it back from her.

As sudden as the Bandersnatch "attack", an angry, yet familiar brogue came.

"Ge' back 'ere ye filthy pile o' spotted fur! Ye said ye wouldn' be runnin off li' this no more! Yer lucky Ah 'aven' turned ye into a fuzzy 'at! Ye filthy, slurvish, frimious-"

The Hatter broke off and stopped dead in his track when he rounded the corner and saw why the Bandersnatch had taken off.

**A/N: Yes the reason the Hatter and the Bandersnatch were together will be explained later.**

"Alice?" he asked, all traces of his brogue gone. "Is it really you?"

"Why I believe it is!" she exclaimed, feigning surprise.

Without another moment's hesitation, the Hatter took off at a sprint. He hugged Alice forcefully, only not knocking her over because he picked her up and spun her around. When he put her down, he didn't let go of her, he held her tightly.

"I missed you so much," he whispered into her hair.

"I missed you too, but I would appreciate it if you would allow me to breathe," she croaked back.

The Hatter immediately let go and stepped back. At the release of the pressure around her ribs, Alice took an automatic deep breath. She looked him over quickly, trying to see how he had changed. Alice could find nothing different except for his hair, which was a bit longer and pulled back into a ponytail.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cut off your air supply," he mumbled, stopping her examination of him.

"Its fine you're not the only one," Alice laughed.

The Bandersnatch whined apologetically and nudged her hand. Alice scratched his head. "Don't worry, I forgive you," she told him. He growled happily and flopped onto his belly.

"Stinkin' Bandersnatch sent me flyin' 'alfway across Marmoreal," Mally grumbled as she stomped back.

"Now, Mally he didn't mean to," Hatter said. The Bandersnatch growled affirmative.

"It was still rude," she grouched.

Hatter let the subject drop, he knew it was a losing battle to argue with her. Instead he focused on Alice, but before he could say a word, Mirana spoke up.

"We will be having a ball tonight in honor of Alice's return to Underland."

"A ball?" Mally groaned.

"Ball?" Thackery gasped. "I need to clean my ears!" he cried and darted away.

McTwisp sighed. "I'm going to make sure he doesn't try to flood the castle again," he called over his shoulder as he hopped away.

"Why is there a ball for everything?" Mally asked. Her question was left unanswered, for the White Queen had disappeared. "I'm going to go find her!" the mouse declared. She turned to the Bandersnatch. "Wanna help?"

He stood up and extended one paw, signaling her to climb up onto his back. She scrambled onto his back and he bolted into the palace.

"I will see you both tonight," Chessur said right before he disappeared, leaving Alice and the Hatter alone.

After a moment of awkward silence the Hatter spoke up.

"I find I should very much like to hug you again."

Alice grinned and opened her arms. The Hatter didn't waste a moment. He rushed into her arms and squeezed her, but not so tightly as to cut off her air again. He wanted this embrace to last longer than a few moments.

It did. They remained locked together for several minutes. He had his face buried in her hair and her forehead was pressed against his neck. Neither was willing to let go and neither would for a long time. Finally, with much reluctance, Hatter pulled away.

'_Was that disappointment I saw flicker across her face?' _he wondered. Whatever it was it was gone before he could figure out what it was.

"Would you like to go on a walk?" Alice asked.

The Hatters eyes lit up as he agreed enthusiastically. They set off at a brisk pace and were quickly out of Marmoreal. They wandered around for several minutes in silence, enjoying being together after such a long time. It was during this time that their hands became intertwined without either of them noticing.

"Hatter?" Alice asked suddenly.

"Yes?"

"How long was I gone?"

"Three years," he said sadly. "Three unbearably long years."

"Really? I was only gone for a year and a half by Overland terms."

"I wish Time had been kind enough to return you here after a year and a half, but alas, he was not. He had to cause endless strife by keeping you away."

"How would me living life in Overland cause strife?"

"Alice, I do believe you have made a rhyme."

Alice laughed at his ability to always find the rhymes in her words. In her giddiness, his words were forgotten.

"I've missed you're ability to always find rhymes," she admitted.

The Hatter grinned and they continued to walk in companionable silence.

"Alice?" he asked suddenly.

"Yes?" she responded.

"Why do you always cal me Hatter?"

"I don't know your name," she said simply.

"Tarrant Hightopp," he told her.

"Tarrant Hightopp," she repeated. "Interesting."

"Interesting good or interesting bad?"

"Interesting good."

"Good."

"Yes it is," she agreed.

"I'm glad you think so."

"I'm glad you're glad."

"I'm glad you're glad I'm glad."

"All this gladness is confusing me," Alice said.

"I'm glad-" he broke off. "You didn't do it that time."

Alice giggled at his dismayed expression. "No I didn't."

"Why not?" he pouted.

"The gladness was confusing me."

"How can gladness confuse you?" Tarrant demanded.

"You have to be special," she joked.

Tarrant stopped walking. "You are special," he said, suddenly serious.

Alice looked away, a deep blush spreading across her cheeks.

"I'm sorry," he apologized quickly. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"It's fine," she said, looking him in the eye. "I'm just not used to people saying things like that to me."

"What?" he gasped, his eyes shifting from green to the brown of shock. "Why ever not?"

"No one ever said anything like that to me," she said with a shrug. Tarrant felt a slight tug on his fingers but ignored it.

"That's not right!" he burst out. "You are the most beautiful, lovely, amazing, brave, smart, sensitive, wonderful, huggable, awe-inspiring-"

"Hatter!" she barked, cutting him off.

"Fez. I'm fine," he croaked. His eyes shifted back to green.

"I appreciate it, but it is wholly unnecessary," Alice said, a faint blush still coloring her cheeks.

"I disagree," he said. "It's true, every word of it, and people in Overland should've told you."

"Up there, I was just a strange girl who was never paid any mind."

"Ridiculous!" Tarrant cried, throwing his hands into the air. Only then did they notice their intertwined fingers. "When did that happen?" he asked incredulously.

"I haven't the faintest idea," Alice said in shock.

For a long moment the two of them studied their hands, how the fit together so perfectly, how his pale, bandaged hand looked so perfect next to her lightly tanned skin and how _right_ it felt to be sharing such contact.

But both of them knew that the moment must come to an end, for holding hands was a symbol of courtship, and they were not courting. With great reluctance, Tarrant withdrew his hand and broke the contact.

'_Why is it,' _he wondered _'that every time I stop touching her, it seems as though I see disappointment in her eyes, if only for a moment?'_

They continued walking again, remaining silent until Alice heard Tarrant mutter something under his breath.

"What was that?" she asked.

"What was what?" he asked, using his brogue on purpose for once.

Alice smile at the memory. "What did you say?"

"I told myself to stop being a coward," he said.

"A coward? How are you being a coward?"

"I want to ask you to go to the ball tonight, just as friends, but I can't seem to muster the courage and oh dear I think I just did." His eyes turned purple with embarrassment.

Alice giggled quietly and said "Of course I'll go with you!"

"Really?" he asked, eyes returning once again to bright green. "That's wonderful!"

"Why would you be nervous to ask me something like that?" Alice queried.

"I don't know," he admitted. "But I will look forward to tonight," he whispered. With only a brief hesitation, he gently grasped the same hand he had been holding earlier and kissed it lightly. He felt chills break out on her skin. "Fairfarren for now Alice," he whispered against her skin before her let go of her hand and walked away.

~Tarrant POV~

'_Where in the world did I find the nerve to do that?' _Tarrant thought to himself as he made his way to his room. _'I couldn't even find the courage to ask her to the ball, just as friends, but I have the guts to kiss her hand? What in the name of Underland is wrong with me? You are truly a madman, yes siree! Oh, I've made a rhyme…'_

Tarrant opened the door to his room and saw the mess left behind by the Bandersnatch.

'_Note to self: never let him back in here.'_

His normally tidy green and purple room was now a mess. There was fabric and string everywhere.

The bed to the left of the door was much too large for only one person, with a patched quilt made by his mother on it, along with numerous pillows. Next to the bed was a small nightstand with naught but a candle and a book on it. The small drawer in it was filled to the brim with small bits of fabric that he was determined to find some use for. On the wall opposite the door was a window that ran the length of the wall with a small desk in front of it. The desk was where he designed new hats. On the wall to the right of the door was another door that led to his washroom. In it was a sink, bathtub, toilet and his wardrobe.

'_This ought to be fun to clean up,' _he grumbled to himself. _'I was really looking forward to making that hat too…'_

~Alice POV~

'_What in the world is wrong with me?' _Alice thought to herself. She was attempting to find the room Mirana had prepared for her, but she was having no luck. _'A simple kiss on the hand should _not _affect me so! But I can't deny that it _is_ affecting me, but that doesn't mean I have to tell anyone!'_

Alice finally found her room and quickly opened the door. When she saw the room, Alice felt a grin break out across her face. Mirana had clearly obliged her need for color and had the room painted a color Tarrant had deemed "Alice-blue".

The entire room was blue with white trim, except for the wall opposite the door. It was large windows that lead to a balcony. In the corner between the wall with the door and the wall right of the door was a large bed with Alice-blue pillows and a matching blanket. Next to it was a wardrobe with a small shelf attached to one side that could be used as a nightstand. On the wall left of the door was another room, that upon further inspection, Alice discovered was her washroom. It had a claw-footed bathtub, a sink with a mirror above it and a toilet. Alice stepped out of the washroom and went to the wardrobe. She opened it, expecting to find it empty, but it was filled with dresses ranging from white to black. In the bottom was a drawer that had underclothes in it. On top of the drawer were shoes to match the dresses.

Alice grinned and decided to take a quick bath before she got ready for that ball. After she was clean, she looked through the dresses until she found the perfect one.

The bottom was a light blue and would be loose around her legs. When it reached her thighs, it shifted to white with dark flecks and blue flowers on the right hip that extended around the back. Around her chest, it was a darker blue with another light blue flower on the neck and white flecks. The back of the dress was almost nonexistent. It would cover her hips and leave the rest of her back bare. There was a third light blue flower on the back of the dress.

Alice slipped into the dress and went to fix her hair. She fixed it the same way she had at her engagement party, but this time she left a few locks free to frame her face. When she was finished with her hair, she slipped on the shoes that went with the dress and started for the door. Someone knocked just before she reached it. Alice grinned and opened the door to a very nervous Tarrant.

He was dressed in a dark blue suit that matched the top of her dress. His hair was pulled back the same way it had been earlier, and as always he had his ever-present hat on.

His eyes went wide when he saw her. He hadn't expected to see her looking so…Alice-y. She looked perfect. But then again, Tarrant always thought she looked perfect, tonight it was just more perfect.

Quickly covering his astonishment, Tarrant extended his arm. "Shall we?"

Alice smiled faintly and took his arm. "We shall."

Tarrant grinned and quickly led her to the party. She groaned when she what was in store for them.

Mirana had gone all out. There was a table as long as the Jabberwocky that was piled high with food. About thirty feet from it was a small stage where people could perform. Scattered all around were people who all turned to stare as their Champion approached.

Alice gulped and plastered a very fake smile on her face. But to her surprise, no one approached her. Unbeknownst to her, the Queen had instructed everyone to treat her as they would anyone else.

"Would you like to dance?" Tarrant whispered to her.

"Umm…yes?" she whispered back uncertainly.

Tarrant chuckled and pulled her into his arms as the next song started. It was a slow song, so he had an excuse to hold her close. Tarrant wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tightly. He felt her arms wind around his back and her head rest above his heart. He sighed contentedly, wishing he could hold her like this forever. But unfortunately, the song came to an end for too soon and he was forced to let her go, lest he looked inappropriate.

"Tarrant," Mirana called as she approached them.

"Yes Your Majesty?" he asked.

"Could I implore you to perform a song?" she asked.

Tarrant laughed. "Do I have a choice?"

"If I were my sister, then you would, but I am not, so you do."

"Either way, I will," Tarrant chuckled.

"Lovely!" Mirana gushed. "I shall look forward to it!" And with that she walked away.

"You sing?" Alice asked.

"Mirana seems to think so, but I'm not a big fan of my voice," he said.

"I'm sure you're voice is amazing. If it's anything like your futterwacken it will be!"

Tarrant laughed. Not a mad giggle as per usual, but a real laugh. It was deep and masculine and Alice loved it. She knew right then and there that she wanted to listen to his laugh for the rest of her life.

"I must go," he told her. "It is my turn to sing."

"Good luck."

"Thank ye, lass," he murmured.

Alice watched as he slipped through the crowd and made his way toward the stage. He moved without ever touching a single person. When he got to the stage, he climbed up without a moment's hesitation. He said something to the band then stepped up to the front of the stage. The band started playing and he started singing.

_Maybe I'm a dreamer  
>Maybe I'm misunderstood<br>Maybe you're not seeing the side of me you should  
>Maybe I'm crazy<br>(Maybe I'm crazy)_

__Alice shivered at the sound of his voice. It was smooth, deep and unbelievably attractive.

_Maybe I'm the only one  
>(Maybe I'm the only one)<br>Maybe I'm just out of touch  
>Maybe I've just had enough<em>

_Maybe it's time to change  
>And leave it all behind<br>I've never been one to walk alone  
>I've always been scared to try<br>So why does it feel so wrong  
>To reach for something more<br>To wanna live a better life  
>What am I waiting for?<br>'Cause nothing stays the same  
>Maybe it's time to change<em>

_Maybe it's hopeless  
>(Maybe it's hopeless)<br>Maybe I should just give up  
>(Maybe I should just give up)<br>What if I can't trust myself?  
>What if I just need some help?<em>

_Maybe it's time to change  
>And leave it all behind<br>I've never been one to walk alone  
>I've always been scared to try<br>So why does it feel so wrong  
>To reach for something more<br>To wanna live a better life  
>What am I waiting for?<br>'Cause nothing stays the same  
>Maybe it's time to change<em>

_And maybe it's time to change  
>And leave it all behind<br>I've never been one to walk alone  
>I've always been scared to try<em>

_And maybe it's time to change  
>And leave it all behind<br>I've never been one to walk alone  
>I've always been scared to try<br>So why does it feel so wrong  
>To reach for something more<br>To wanna live a better life  
>What am I waiting for?<br>'Cause nothing stays the same  
>Maybe it's time to change<br>'Cause nothing stays the same  
>Maybe it's time to change <em>

When the song ended, Tarrant slipped off the stage and made his way back to Alice. It was no easy task though. For everyone was clapping like crazy and wanted to tell him how amazing his voice was. But he would not listen to any of them. He was focused on getting to Alice and wouldn't so much as glance at anyone else.

When he finally managed to fight his way free of the crowd and make it back to Alice, he was unnerved by the look on her face.

"What?" he asked uncomfortably.

"Wow," she breathed.

"Wow what?" he asked.

"Amazing…"

"It wasn't that good," he mumbled.

"That's a lie and you know it," Alice chided.

"Uh huh," he said, unconvinced. "Would you like something to drink?"

Alice noticed his attempt to change the subject, but didn't comment on it. Instead she nodded. They weaved their way to the Jabberwocky sized table and got a couple glasses of wine. They sipped their drinks and watched everyone mingle.

"Wha' in the world was tha'?" Mally asked, walking up to them. "I was yellin' for you the whole time ye were walkin' through the crowd, an' ye never once even glanced at me."

"Sorry Mally," he apologized. "I didn't hear you."

"Sure you didn't," she grumbled.

"If you didn't notice, _everyone_ was screaming," he pointed out. "The voice of one mouse isn't likely to stand out."

Mally grumbled to herself and went off to search for the Bandersnatch.

Alice and Tarrant looked at each other and burst out laughing. They laughed for no apparent reason, they just laughed.

'_I love his laugh,' _Alice thought.

'_I love her laugh,' _Tarrant thought.

The party continued well into the night, and everyone got a little tipsy, for the wine was flowing like water.

When midnight had come and gone, Tarrant turned to Alice. Her eyes were drooping, from drowsiness or drunkenness, Tarrant knew not, but he did know that she needed to go to bed.

"Would you like me to escort you to your room?" he asked her. She nodded and he wrapped his arm around her waist. She leaned into his side as they walked inside.

They reached her room quickly. Tarrant faced her.

"Goodnight Alice," he whispered.

She blinked once. "Would you like to come in for a while?" she asked.

Against his better instincts, which had been dulled by alcohol, Tarrant agreed. They stepped into her room and sat down on the bed. Alice rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. Tarrant wrapped his arm around her shoulder and she snuggled into his side.

"You're so warm," she whispered.

Tarrant shivered despite his supposed warmth. Her words sounded so innocent, yet so seductive at the same time.

'_This night is going to be the death of me,' _he thought.

Alice looked up at him with her big blue eyes. They seemed to beckon him closer. Without meaning to, he leaned in until he felt his lips brush hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

Before either of them knew what happened, he was on top of her, kissing her lips, her face, her neck, everywhere he could reach. She had her head arched backward to allow him better access. Without either of them meaning to, their clothes hit the floor and the night went on and on and on…

**Well the chapter has come to an end. I hope you enjoyed it. There will be more and I, unfortunately, own nothing.** _  
><em>


	2. Chapter 2

**Time to find out what happened to Alice and Tarrant after a night of drinking and a little too much fun. Did they? Didn't they? Read and find out!**

Alice woke up feeling warm and mostly comfortable. The only mar in her comfort was the buzzing in her head and a soreness she couldn't quite place. She shifted her weight and felt something hard, yet soft in front of her. Not quite ready to open her eyes, Alice explored the unknown object in her bed with her hands. She heard a soft sigh and froze.

"Tha' feels good," someone told her.

Alice's eyes flew open and she found herself face to face with none other than Tarrant Hightopp. Upon further inspection she realized that, not only was he in her bed, but neither of them were clothed. Their legs were tangled together and his arms were wrapped around her, holding her tight to him.

"Tarrant," she hissed in an attempt to fully wake him.

It seemed to do the trick. His eyes flew open and locked onto hers. It took him a moment to register what was going on, but when he did, his eyes shot open and turned silver. What that meant, Alice did not know. All she knew is that she was lying in bed, naked, with a man.

'_What happened last night?' _She tried to remember, but there was a thick veil hiding her memories of last night.

"Alice?" Tarrant said cautiously. She noted that he hadn't let her go yet.

"Yes?" she whispered uncertainly.

"Do you know what happened last night?"

Alice shook her head. "I can't remember."

"Do you, well I don't mean to sound improper, but do you feel any discomfort?"

Alice gave him a disbelieving look, as if to say "Discomfort? No, I only just woke up in my bed naked, with a naked man and have no idea what happened last night."

He understood her unspoken words and clarified. "Do you feel any physical discomfort in your, err…feminine area?"

Alice frowned. _'What does that have to do with anything?' _she wondered. But she still focused and discovered that she did indeed feel mild discomfort and even a little soreness.

"Yes, I do," she said warily. "Why does that matter?"

Tarrant looked uncomfortable. He finally released his grip on her and scooted away. He sat up in the bed and motioned for her to do the same. When she too had sat up -keeping a blanket around her chest- he spoke.

"You do know what happens when a man and a woman are…_intimate_…right?" he asked.

"Intimate?" she repeated, obviously confused.

He looked at her, carefully keeping his eyes on her face. "Yes, intimate."

"What does that mean?"

He looked at her dubiously . "Do you not know of physical intimacy?" She shook her head. "What in the world did they teach you in Overland?" he demanded. Before she could respond, he continued. "Did they teach you anything about male anatomy?" Alice shook her head again. Tarrant took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "This is going to be harder than I thought," he muttered. He opened his eyes and said "Male anatomy is very different than female anatomy is."

"How so?"

"Well, where a woman has- a man-" he broke off, frustrated. He couldn't find the proper words to explain. "A man and a woman have different parts, _down there,_" the meaning of his words were clear even to someone as inexperienced as Alice. "When a man and a woman are intimate, the man will place his…part inside of the woman's."

"_Inside?_" Alice repeated. "How is that possible?"

"Well, you see, a man- woman-" he broke off again. With a growl of frustration at his inability to explain, Tarrant stood up, freeing himself from the blanket and exposing his manhood. "That is how it's possible," he said. But his meaning was lost on Alice, for the moment he had stood up, she had instinctively averted her eyes. "Alice, look at me," he said softly.

With much reluctance, Alice lowered her gaze to his face and no lower.

"Alice this will be much easier to explain if you would just _look_," he told her.

"It is improper," she protested.

Tarrant barked out a laugh. "Since when do you care about being proper?" he asked dryly.

Alice had no comeback for that. She reluctantly lowered her gaze a bit farther. When her eyes reached their destination they went wide. She had no idea that men were so different than women. She snapped her eyes back up to his and could see a trace of embarrassment in his face.

"That is why it's possible," he said softly. He sat back down on the edge of the bed and covered his lap with the blanket. "And when a man and woman are intimate, the woman can sometimes end up bearing a child."

Alice looked like she was going to faint. "A child? You mean I might be…" she trailed off.

"It's possible," he admitted. "It all depends on your body."

"I-I can't be!" she burst out. "We don't even know for sure that anything happened!"

"Alice, I can think of no other reason for your _discomfort,_"he said softly. "We did. There is no other explanation."

"I can't be pregnant though…"

"There is a chance you might not be," he assured her "but we still need to make sure."

"How?"

"I'm sure Mirana knows a way to find out," he paused. "And she wouldn't tell anyone of our…activities."

"Well then let's go!" Alice cried.

"We can't," he said. "Not yet."

"Why ever not?" she demanded.

"It's too soon. Your body wouldn't have even registered the fact yet. Wait a couple weeks and then we can go to her."

"Fine." Something occurred to Alice then. "How do you know so much about this?"

Contrary to what Alice expected, Tarrant did not look embarrassed. "My father taught me all of this when I reached an age where I could understand what he meant," he told her.

"So last night…"

"It was my first time," he assured her.

Alice looked down. "We should get dressed," she murmured.

Tarrant looked down. He had forgotten that they were still unclothed. "Right," he said. He started to stand up, but then stopped. Alice looked away, seemingly fascinated by the color of the wall. Tarrant grinned and stood up. He glanced around the room for his trousers. He found them on the balcony.

'_How in the name of Underland did my pants get over here?' _ he wondered as he pulled them on. He quickly located his shirt and pulled it on. He approached the door. Before he walked out, he turned to Alice.

"I'll see you later?" he asked uncertainly.

Alice looked at him, her eyes carefully blank. "Yes," she whispered.

He nodded once and slipped out of her room.

The moment the door was shut, Alice fell back onto the bed.

'_I slept with Tarrant,' _she thought miserably. _'I slept with him and I can't even remember it…'_

Alice wanted to break down and cry, but she wouldn't allow herself the relief.

'_I have to act as if nothing has happened. No one else needs to know, and no one will unless I end up…' _She couldn't think the word.

Resolutely, Alice got out of bed and got dressed. She marched out of her room and faced the day.

~Tarrant POV~

'_What's wrong with you, you stupid madman?' _Tarrant scolded himself. _'You turned some innocent fun into a night that could alter both of our lives forever! Poor Alice, she has no idea what is going on, she must hate me.' _He snorted. _'Not that I blame her, I hate me too. If she does end up bearing a child, I swear I'll be there for her as whatever she needs me to be, whether that is a friend, supporter, lover or a father to the child. Father?' _He paused. _'As my father always told me, 'any man can be a father, but it takes a true man to be a daddy.' I will be a daddy, if Alice will allow me.'_

Tarrant was oblivious to his surroundings due to his internal musings, so he had no warning when Mally stabbed him in the foot.

"Ouch!" he yelped. "What was that for?"

"For ignorin' me," the mouse snapped. "Wha's on yer mind?"

"Nothing," he said quickly.

Mally frowned and scurried up the leg of his pants and onto his shoulder. "Hatta, don' lie t' me. Wha's on yer mind?"

"Oh Mally, how I wish I could tell you, but I've made a promise that I intend to keep. I've already made a mess of things, and I don't want to make it any worse."

Mally's frown deepened. "'Ow 'ave ye made a mess of thin's?"

"I did something very bad last night and I'm not allowed to say more."

"Ah'll respect yer privacy Hatta, but if ye eva' need someone, Ah'm 'ere," Mally promised.

"Thank you Mally," he whispered.

"Any time!" And with that, she scurried down his leg and disappeared into the palace.

Tarrant continued wandering through the palace until he happened upon the Bandersnatch.

"Hello Teufel," he murmured. Tarrant was the only one who had ever figured out his name, or even knew that he had one.

Teufel growled softly, his version of hello. Sensing Tarrants distress, he nuzzled his leg and licked his hand.

"Thank you Teufel, I really need that right now." Teufel plopped down and pulled Tarrant down next to him. "I did something awful," he told the Bandersnatch. "If I asked you, would you bite my head off?"

Teufel growled, clearly saying no.

"Drat, I wish you would."

Teufel laid his head down on his paws and wrapped his long tail around the miserable hatter. Tarrant laid his head back with a thump.

"I'm a terrible person," he mumbled.

~Three Weeks Later~

Alice heard a quite knock on her door. It was the first time anyone had knocked on her door in several days.

"Just a moment," she called. She closed the book she had been reading and placed it on her nightstand. She stood up carefully and walked to the door.

'_It seems all my movements are careful recently,' _she mused.

She opened the door and was faced with and awkward looking Tarrant.

"Err, hello," he said.

"Hi," she said quietly.

"We, I mean, well-" He stopped and cleared his throat. "We need to go see Mirana."

Alice went pale. She had managed to push the impending visit out of her mind, but she couldn't any longer. It was time.

"Lets' go," she said with fake bravado.

Tarrant hesitantly extended his arm for her, his face the physical incarnation of awkwardness and discomfort. Alice's acceptance helped a bit, but he still felt uneasy in her presence. Quickly the pair of them made their way to the throne room.

"Halt," said one of the chess piece guards as they approached. "What is your business here?"

"We need to see the Queen," Tarrant answered smoothly. "It's urgent."

The guard slipped into the throne room. Within moments he came back out and motioned for them to enter.

Both of them bowed deeply when they came upon the throne.

"There is no need for that my friends," Mirana said, waving off the formality. "What is so urgent?"

Alice and Tarrant glanced at each other. He gestured for her to speak.

"Well Your Majesty-" she began.

"Mirana, please call me Mirana."

"As you wish…Mirana," Alice started again. "On the night of my return to Underland, as you know, there was a party where alcohol was present. Due to our inebriation, Tarrant and I engaged in some very compromising behavior and we would like you to help us find out what became of it."

Mirana seemed unfazed by the news. "You want me to tell you if you are with a child?"

Alice gulped. "Yes please."

"Very well," she said, standing. "Follow me."

Mirana lead them to the kitchen. It was currently vacant, something Alice was grateful for. She didn't want anyone to know about this if it could be helped.

The queen sifted through several recipe books until she found the one she needed. It was a thin, dusty tome. It contained only two recipes. One to determine if a woman was pregnant and one to discover who the father was.

"I assume I will only need to prepare the first?" she asked, looking up at Alice.

"Yes. The second is unnecessary. If I am," she gritted her teeth "pregnant, there is only one possibility as to who the father is."

Tarrant tried not to look overly relieved, but both women could see the relief on his face.

"Did you think it would be anyone else?" Alice inquired.

"One can never assume," he said lightly.

"Well this would've been a safe assumption," she informed him.

"Good to know."

"I'm glad you think so."

"I'm glad you're glad."

"I'm glad you're glad I'm glad."

"Okay, this time the gladness confused _me,_" Tarrant said, making Alice giggle.

"This is all very well, but if you're done now, I need help," Mirana cut in.

"What do you need?" Tarrant asked.

"A piece of her hair."

Alice plucked out one of her golden hairs and passed it to Mirana. "Anything else?" she asked.

"Nothing you can give," she said airily.

Both remained silent as they watched her work. She put buttered fingers, Bandersnatch fur, frog eyeballs, skin of a dragonfly and last but not least, Alice's hair.

'_She didn't spit in this one,' _Alice thought. Her relief was short-lived however, for a moment later, Mirana added her saliva to the mixture.

The queen poured half of the liquid into a glass and handed it to Alice, who sniffed it warily.

"What will it do?" she asked.

"It will change your eye color," she said. "If you are, they will turn silver and if you aren't they will turn black. Temporarily."

Alice took a deep breath and downed the potion. She didn't feel anything. "Did it work?" she asked. Neither of them responded. "Well?" she asked anxiously. Tarrant rushed forward and hugged her hard.

"You," he whispered "are going to be a fantastic mother."

"Mother?" she gasped. "My eyes are silver?"

Tarrant pulled back, but kept a grip on her arms. "Yes Alice, your eyes are silver."

"Mother," she mouthed.

Neither noticed when Mirana slipped out of the kitchen to give them some privacy.

"Alice, you are going to be a mother!"

"Don't leave yourself out of this!" Alice shot back. "You do want to be involved right?" she asked uncertainly.

"Alice of course I want to be involved if you'll let me!" he admonished her.

"What wouldn't I?" she asked.

"Well, the way this all happened, I didn't know if you'd be wanting me around the child or if-"

Alice cut him off with a quick kiss. She broke away when she saw his eyes widen. "Never talk like that," she scolded him. "This child is as much yours as it is mine. You have every right to be involved."

Tarrant couldn't think, let alone speak. He couldn't get over the fact that Alice had kissed him, _without being drunk._

'_Does this mean what I think it does?'_ he wondered.

"Tarrant?" Alice asked. "Hatter?"

The use of his nickname snapped him out of his trance. "I'm fine," he choked out.

"Tarrant, you are going to be a father," she told him.

"Father?" he repeated. "'Any man can be a father, but only a real man can be a daddy.'"

Her brow furrowed. "Where did you hear that?"

"My father told me. Why?"

"My father told me the same thing," she said softly.

Tarrant pulled her into a tight embrace. "Great minds think alike."

They stood in the first comfortable silence they had had for weeks. Neither of them was willing to break it, so neither did. The embrace was only broken when Thackery burst into the kitchen.

"You're both late for tea!" he shrieked.

Alice and Hatter broke apart. "Ye mangy rabbit, ye ruined the momen'," Tarrant growled.

"B-but yer late fer tea!" he protested.

"We will be there momentarily," Alice said quickly.

Thackery wriggled with delight and darted out the door.

"Let's go," Alice said. She twined her fingers through his and tugged him through the door. He allowed her tote him out of the kitchen and toward the courtyard where tea was served. They arrived quickly and seated themselves.

"Late, late, late," Thackery muttered.

"Hush, we have an announcement," Tarrant said, too ecstatic to be angry at him any longer.

"Everyone, I am going to have a baby," Alice announced.

"Is _tha'_ wha' ye were hidin' frum me?" Mally demanded.

"Not exactly," Hatter said. "I was hiding the actual act of _creating _the baby from you. We didn't know until a few minutes ago."

Mally couldn't bear to be angry at him at the present moment, she was too happy for them. "Tha's fantastic!" she cried.

"Baby…" Thackery mumbled. "Baby…"

"No doubt Mirana will want to throw a ball too celebrate," Alice grumbled.

"Lass, just be happy right now," Tarrant said to her, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb.

"For you," she said with a grin. "Anything for you."

Mally and Thackery glanced at each other. They had an unspoken agreement.

"Kiss, kiss, kiss!" they chanted.

Alice and Tarrant were happy to oblige.

**Well there it is! Chapter two is up! I hope you enjoyed! Should the baby be a boy or a girl? Or should it be babies? Please tell me what you think! By the way, here is a link to the dress Alice wore in the last chapter. http : / www . ballroom – gown . com / Ballroom – Dress / 3382 . html . That's the dress only the one in the story didn't have the weird little wing things. **


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm trying to keep the updates coming in quickly, and so far, I must say I'm not doing to bad ^.^ As always, I own nothing, though I wish I could have the Hatter…sigh. Oh well! Enjoy!**

Alice and Tarrant didn't remain in their lip-lock for very long for two reasons. One, they were too self-conscious and two, Chessur felt the need to fulfill his very annoying habit of appearing at the worst moment.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" the floating cat purred.

Tarrant pulled away and grinned. Chessur, who had been expecting the death stare, was very confused. The Hatter never grinned at him like that. What was going on?

"Normally I would threaten to turn you into a hat, but right now, I am in too fine a mood to be angry at you!" Tarrant said, his grin for once shaming Chessurs.

"There is only one thing I can think of that would put you in this kind of mood, and I'm certain that hasn't happened," Chessur said. He was unused to being confused and wasn't coping well.

"Well whatever you're thinking, I'm sure it is far off, so I will just tell you. Alice and I," he wrapped his arm around her waist gently "are going to have a child."

The look of utter astonishment of Chessurs face was worth all of the awkwardness and shame the pair of them had suffered in the past three weeks. No one had ever seen him look so entirely staggered. His furred chin was flopping open like a door with broken hinges. His eyes seemed to swallow the rest of his face and his pupils had dilated.

"You two have decided to procreate?" he managed to get out through his shock.

"Well, _decide_ might be a little misleading," Alice muttered.

Chessur cocked his head. "How so?" he inquired. "Wouldn't the act of creating new life be a decision?"

"Not when you're drunk," she mumbled.

"So this child was accidental?" he asked.

"Pretty much."

Chessur looked appalled. "How in the name of all that is shiny could you do that on _accident_?"

"As she said, we were intoxicated," Tarrant said.

The cat shrugged. "Either way, the deed is done. As long as you are both dedicated to becoming good parents, there is no harm done."

"We are," they said at the same time. They looked at each other and grinned, as did Chessur.

"Well then, I wish you a good nine months," the cat purred devilishly as he disappeared.

Alice cocked her head. "What did he mean by that?" she asked.

Hatter covered his face with his hand. "Do they teach you nothing of reproduction in Overland?" he asked without moving his hand.

"Not really, no," she admitted. "Why?"

"Nine months is how long a woman will carry a child before it is ready to be born," he explained.

"Hatta, maybe ye should let a woman explain such things too her," Mally warned.

"You're right, that would create less awkwardness between us." He turned to Alice. "What do you say?"

"Less awkwardness sounds good," she agreed.

"Then away with you," he teased, giving her a little push. Alice grinned and darted off into the palace. Tarrants gaze followed her until she was out of sight and even then, he stood staring at the spot where she had disappeared. Mally snapped him out of it by throwing a sugar cube at his head and cackling maniacally.

"The Hatta is in luv!" she crowed gleefully.

"Yes, we have known this for quite some time!" he snapped playfully. Mally threw her head back and howled with laughter.

"Spoon…" Thackery cooed.

~Alice POV~

'_Who would I go to for information on children?' _Alice wondered silently. _'I don't know anyone!'_

She wondered around the palace for a while, until she happened upon the library.

'_The library! Why didn't I think of that before?' _she berated herself. Hesitantly she stepped into the library. She gasped in surprise.

The library was huge. It had a cavernous stained glass ceiling. Alice couldn't determine what it depicted, but it was still beautiful. It caused the sunlight to filter in with amazing colors, varying from light pink to dark blue. The shelves didn't extend even halfway to the domed ceiling, but they were still many times taller than Alice. She couldn't tell how far back it reached, but it seemed to go on forever.

"How will I ever find what I need in here?" she muttered under her breath.

"That is where I come in Champion," Uilleam told her.

**A/N: Uilleam is the dodo from the movie for those of you who didn't know.**

"Alice," she corrected him. "Please, call me Alice."

Uilleam dipped his head. "As you wish. Now what is it that you need to find?"

"Well, I was hoping to read a book or two on pregnancy." Alice couldn't help but blush as the last word left her mouth.

Uilleam looked at her oddly, but refrained from asking any questions. "Right this way," he said, extending a wing toward the back of the library.

'_I wonder why these books would be in the back,' _Alice speculated.

When Alice thought the books were in the back, she had no idea just how far back she would be going. Uilleam lead her to the very back of the gigantic room, to a side small room where people could read in peace. He walked to a lantern that was mounted on the wall and muttered a couple words under his breath. A passageway opened in the wall.

"The few books we have on the topic you need are very rare, and to prevent them from being stolen, I keep them hidden in here," Uilleam explained. "Not even the Queen knows the password to open this passageway, though I will reveal it before my passing. Please follow closely. There are many illusions to frighten away trespassers or anyone who attempts to follow me. Stay directly behind me and do not under any circumstances stray away from the main pathway. Not unless you wish to vanish from Underland forever."

'_Why would these books be so heavily guarded?' _Alice thought disbelievingly. _'Surely they are not so valuable as to need so much protection as this.'_

Alice could not ask her question though, for the dodo had already slipped into the doorway.

"Come quickly," he hissed from the darkness.

Alice scurried after him. She kept so close behind him that her stomach brushed his tail. She expected him to reprimand her, but he remained silent. Suddenly, a low, moaning howl filled the tunnel.

"What is that?" she asked.

"One of the many traps designed to protect the precious material hidden down here," Uilleam murmured quietly.

As the baying intensified, Alice found it increasingly difficult not to flee for her life. It was a low groaning sound that made her feel like someone was behind her about to run a blade through her. She shuddered in fear and had to resist the urge to grasp Uilleams wing and run back to the library.

"You may place a hand upon my back if it will comfort you," he told her. It was as if he could sense her terror. Alice didn't think twice. She quickly took him up on his offer and placed a hand upon his silky feathers. The contact did little to soothe her fear however; the howl still filled her ears and tried her muchness.

Alice made the mistake of looking forward into the inky darkness. She saw two blood-red eyes, just like the ones that had belonged to the Jabberwocky she had slain. A deep growl filled the passageway and the Jabberwocky thrust its head toward them. Alice shied away from it, her arms curling protectively around her stomach.

"Just keep moving, it is not real," Uilleam told her calmly.

Alice gritted her teeth and forced herself to keep walking toward the snarling, hissing beast in front of her.

'_I want my Hatter,' _she thought gloomily.

"'Beware the Jabberwock, my son; and the frimious Bandersnatch,'" she murmured lowly, to low for Uilleam to hear her. The words from the past helped Alice to steel herself. Not that it made her task any less daunting.

Gritting her teeth, Alice forced herself to take the last step into the slavering jaws of the Jabberwocky.

She stepped right through it. It was an illusion, just as Uilleam had told her it was.

"Trust me yet?" he asked cheekily.

Alice didn't respond. She was too focused on the tunnel that branched off from the one she was in. It lead to Tarrant. She didn't stop to wonder how he got down there; she just started walking toward him, a grin spreading across her face.

"Stop!" Uilleam ordered.

Alice halted, more out of surprise that obedience. She craned her neck around to look at the blue bird behind her. More like glare at him, but it was all the same to Alice at this point.

"Do not go to the illusion, lest you wish to bring about your own death," he warned. "It is another illusion, you must keep moving, no matter how much you don't want to. Alice, stop!" he barked again, for she had begun walking toward the illusion again.

To distract herself from the almost uncontrollable desire to run into Tarrants arms, Alice spoke to Uilleam.

"Uilleam, why are these books so heavily guarded? It seems a bit much."

"It was my father's last wish that they be moved here," he explained. "My father was far older and far wiser than anyone who still lives. He swore he would tell me why it was so crucial that such extreme measures be taken, but all he got the chance to tell me was that they contained dark magyk of the worst kind. He said it was hidden deep within the text. I have poured over them time and again, but have found no such thing."

"Then why don't you move them back?"

"My father may have been old, but he was not senile. He wished them to stay here, and so they shall as long as it is under my power to keep them here."

"What happened to your father?"

"The Red Queen happened," he said venomously. "She murdered my father."

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"It is done and he has been avenged." He stopped. "We are here."

Alice looked around. They had reached a dead end. "There is nothing here."

Uilleam gave her a sly look and started chanting in Outlandish. When the final words left his beak, the ground started rumbling. A piece of the floor slid out of it position and left a hole large enough for only one person to fit through at a time.

"Ladies first," he murmured. "Don't worry, there are no illusions down there and the drop is short," he assured her when he saw her worried expression.

Trusting his words, Alice lowered herself into the opening and dropped down. She hit the floor before she even knew she was falling. The opening was only a foot or so above her head. Alice studied the chamber she had dropped into, but all her efforts were for naught. It was still pervaded by an inky darkness. It could have stretched for an inch or a mile for all she knew. Suddenly Uilleam dropped into the hollow next to her.

"This way," he said, walking away. He glanced over his shoulder at her. "Coming?"

"Yes," she said. "I am."

They walked no more than a dozen steps before the darkness evaporated. The room they stepped into was small. It contained only one shelf, which was carved into the wall and held only two books. Below it was a small wooden chair.

"All this…for that?" Alice asked skeptically.

"I told you what my father said," Uilleam snapped. The moment the words fled his tongue, he was contrite. "I apologize; my temper is not normally so short. I think it has something to do with the dark magyk. It is corrupting my mind."

"So if I read these books, my mind will be corrupted?" Alice asked, horrified by the thought. The urge to flee back to the surface returned and Alice braced herself to run.

"Nay, you must be around them for years for the magyk to seep into your mind. I've been protecting them since my father died." He pushed her forward. "Go. Read your fill."

Alice stepped forward and pulled the smaller of the two volumes off the shelf with a puff of dust. She sneezed once, then sat down and began to read.

~Tarrant POV~

'_I've searched the entire palace, where on earth is she?' _Tarrant thought anxiously. It had been four hours since Alice had run off, and she still hadn't been seen by anyone. Tarrant was beyond worried. He was on the brink of slipping into a maddened frenzy until he found her. _'I swear if something happened to her, I'm going to lose my mind. Or what's left of it.'_

"Hatter?"

Tarrant whipped around. Behind him was a very tired looking Alice.

"Alice!" he cried. He threw his arms around her waist and squeezed tightly.

"Don't crush me please," she begged. "Or the baby."

Tarrant loosened his grip marginally, enough to allow her to breathe. "I was so worried about you," he whispered.

"I'm fine," she said into his shoulder. "Uilleam was with me the entire time."

The Hatter pulled back and looked at her questioningly. "Uilleam? The librarian?"

"Who else would be with me in the library?" she asked.

"Why would you be in the library?"

"I was reading."

"Reading?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"It's a fast way to learn what you need to know."

"I didn't think the library had books on that particular topic."

"You just have to know where to look."

"And where do you look?"

"You'd have to ask Uilleam," she said evasively.

He arched his eyebrows, but the comment slide. "Come, come," he said. "We really should head for a more private location."

Now Alice raised her eyebrows. "Why? Were you planning on creating twins?" she teased.

Tarrant blushed furiously and looked away. "No," he mumbled. "We may have already done that."

"What?" Alice gasped.

"I'll explain, I promise, but we really must move to a more private location."

"Lead the way," she said coolly.

He quickly led her through the winding corridors of Marmoreal to his room. He opened the door and motioned for Alice to enter.

She stepped into the room, seeming unperturbed by the garish colors. "The room fits you," she murmured.

"Thank you," he said nervously. "Please sit." He gestured toward the bed.

Alice seated herself daintily on the edge of the large bed. Tarrant sat down next to her and gently grasped one of her hands. His thumb traced patterns on her skin. Alice waited patiently for him to gather his thoughts and begin to explain.

"When someone is a twin, it is likely that any children they may have will also be twins," he told her. "Every person on my fathers' side of the family has been a twin for the past several generations, myself included."

"I didn't know you are a twin."

"I was supposed to be," he said quietly, pain clear in his voice.

"What do you mean?"

"My sister was a stillborn," he said. "She dies before she had a chance to live."

"I'm so sorry," Alice whispered. "That's terrible."

"It's fine." He wouldn't look at her when he said it, but Alice could see the tears building in his eyes.

She gently took his chin and turned him to face her. "Don't you ever lie to me Tarrant Hightopp," she scolded gently.

Tarrant lowered his eyes, but Alice could still see the pain in them. They had turned to a dark grey color, bordering on black.

"It's not fair," he whispered angrily. "Why should I get to live when she did not? What did I do to earn the right to live?"

"Tarrant," Alice whispered. "You had done nothing. She had done nothing. Fate made His decision, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it. It was not your fault."

"Why did Fate victimize her and not me then?" he demanded in a whisper. "Was there a purpose? Was she not supposed to live? What would've happened if she had lived?" The tears that were building in his eyes spilled over and flooded down his cheeks.

Alice was startled. She had never thought him to be one who would cry so unashamedly. But right now she knew she needed to push her own emotions down and comfort him, so she pulled the miserable hatter into her arms and let him cry. His tears stained her dress, but Alice did not care. What was a dress when the man she loved was so distressed? She gently rubbed his back in a soothing motion. After a long time, his sobs subsided, but he remained in place, his head on Alice's shoulder.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"For what?" she asked.

"For holding me. It's been far too long since I've had a shoulder to cry on."

"Everyone needs a shoulder sometimes," she said softly. "Even the Bandersnatch I bet."

"Teufel," he said, raising his head. "His name is Teufel."

"Well then I bet that even Teufel needs someone to comfort him sometimes," Alice corrected herself.

"Maybe."

"Hatter."

"Okay, okay, you're right," he surrendered. "As always," he added slyly.

Alice snorted in a very unladylike fashion. "If you think I'm always right, then you are sorely mistaken. I am very rarely right when it comes to the things that matter most."

Tarrant mimicked her snort. "You were right when you decided to came back."

"So? I said rarely, not never."

Tarrant hugged her. "You were still right."

Alice wrapped her arms around his waist and closed her eyes. _'I love it when he holds me,' _she thought. _'I feel so safe and loved in his arms, like I could stay here forever.'_

'_I love holding her,' _Tarrant thought. _'It feels so right, like we were meant to stay this way forever.'_

They remained locked in each other's arms for a long time, until the sun started going down. Tarrant squeezed her tighter for a moment then moved to let her go, but she didn't move. It took him a second to realize that she had fallen asleep in his arms. Panic flashed through him. The last time they had shared a bed, she had ended up pregnant, so he was leery about sharing a bed with her again.

'_She's already asleep, but would she panic if she woke up with me again?' _he thought worriedly. He sighed. _'I think I'll risk it.'_

Tarrant gently laid her on her back and slipped her shoes off her feet. He dropped them gently on the floor and pulled the blanket up to her chin. Now he faced a dilemma. Where was he too sleep? He could sleep in the bed with her, but that would cause problems in the morning, or he could sleep on the floor.

'_To hell with it,' _he thought. Quickly he pulled his own shoes off and placed his hat on his desk. He stripped off his jacket and shirt, leaving his chest bare. _'She'll probably hit me anyway, so I may as well be comfortable,' _he mused. He slipped under the quilt, making sure to keep on the opposite side of the bed from Alice. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep.

"Tarrant."

Tarrants eyes flew open. He looked over to Alice and he realized she was still sleeping.

"Tarrant," she mumbled again.

'_Why is she saying my name in her sleep?' _he wondered. Then it hit him. _'She must be dreaming about me.'_

"Tarrant," she whimpered, her hands roaming the bed, searching. When her hand made contact with his, she wriggled toward it. She curled up next to him, one of her arms sliding across his bare stomach and wrapping around his waist. "Tarrant," she murmured. "My Hatter."

Tarrant smiled and wrapped his arms around her. He closed his eyes and drifted off into a content slumber.

**Sorry about the delay, I've been really busy, but I hope this chapter is enough to keep you content until I can get the next chapter up! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter four. Please enjoy. This chapter contains some sexual themes, but nothing to graphic. As always, I own nothing.**

Alice woke up a few hours before dawn, warm and mostly comfortable. The only mar in her comfort was the unfamiliar bed she was in. She stretched a little and felt something vaguely familiar in front of her. Puzzled, she explored the object in front of her with her hands, not yet ready to open her eyes to the pale light of the last hours before dawn. It felt strangely recognizable, as if she had felt it before. It was warm and soft and well muscled. When Alice realized the last, her eyes flew open. Once again she was face to face with Tarrant. And he wasn't wearing a shirt. Once again his arms were wrapped around her tightly, allowing minimal movement.

'_Please, not again,' _she begged silently. "Tarrant?" she said, making his eyelids flutter open momentarily. "Tarrant!" she said a little louder. This time his eyes opened halfway and stayed open. "Alice?" he mumbled sleepily. "Alice!" he yelped, pulling away from her quickly. The sudden loss of contact made Alice shiver.

Tarrants eyes were wide. _'Why didn't I think this through?' _he demanded from himself. _'I'm an idiot and now she's going to murder me.' _He gulped and looked at her bright blue eyes.

"What happened?" she asked calmly.

"Nothing," he said quickly, his voice trembling slightly. "Nothing at all!"

"Where is your shirt?"

"I don't usually wear one when I sleep, and I figured if I was going to get slapped, I may as well be comfortable," he answered nervously.

"Why would you get slapped?"

"Well I thought if you woke up in the same bed as me again that you'd freak out and imprint your hand on my face."

"Tarrant," she said gently "we are going to have a child together. That changes things. If I wake up next to you, I'm not going to panic, I'm not going to be mad, and I'm certainly not going to hit you!"

He looked relieved. "Are you sure? Positively certain? Totally convinced?" he asked hopefully.

Alice answered him with a kiss. It was long and slow and it answered Tarrants questions completely. Alice wrapped her arms around his neck as her wound his around her waist. He tentatively prodded her lips with his tongue and was pleasantly surprised when she opened her mouth. His tongue slipped into her mouth and rubbed against hers. Tarrant felt Alice shiver in his arms and he took it as encouragement. He gently flicked the tip of his tongue over the underside of hers, making her groan quietly into him mouth. She shivered again and suddenly, Tarrant had a problem. He had to break the kiss before he did something to chase her away, but he couldn't make himself do it. He continued to kiss her, his problem growing larger and more insistent. Before long, he knew she'd be able to feel it if he couldn't get himself under control. But it was too late. His firm grip on her held her too close for his problem to go unnoticed. He tensed and waited for a reprimand that would never come. Instead she stunned him by releasing one arm from around his neck and sliding it down his chest and stomach to squeeze the bulge in the front of his pants, which didn't help his self-control or his problem. Now it was his turn to moan. He couldn't help it, it felt too good.

"Care to give me something I can remember?" she whispered against his mouth.

Tarrant shuddered. Did she really want this, or was it the heat of the moment? "Are you sure?" he asked.

Once again, Alice answered with actions instead of words. She squeezed his bulge again, causing him to groan again.

"You're going to be the death of me," he growled.

"Then enjoy it while it lasts," she murmured.

"As you wish," he whispered. Tarrant gently pushed her onto her back and crawled on top of her. He pressed his body down against hers, making it nigh on impossible for her to move away. He kissed her hard, his tongue dueling with hers. Alice, not to be outdone, gripped his manhood once again.

"As much as I enjoy that, if you want anything you can remember, you might want to stop doing that love," he rumbled quietly.

Alice chuckled and moved her hand back up to his neck, caressing softly. Tarrant shivered and his pants became even tighter. He kissed her harder and moved his hands down to the hem of her skirt. He looked at her, seeking permission. She gave him a look that was undoubtedly approval, so he gently lifted her dress up and pushed it up to her waist. She raised her arms up and allowed him to slip it from her body, leaving Alice in naught but her undergarments. The moment the dress left her body, Alice looked embarrassed. She looked away and refused to meet his eyes.

Tarrant grasped her chin gently and turned her head. He kissed her softly, his lips barely ghosting against hers. "Never be ashamed of your body," he whispered. "Not in front of me." Alice lowered her eyes again and wouldn't speak. "Love, what's wrong?"

"I…" she started. "This is wrong."

Tarrant was confused. "What do you mean?"

"We aren't married," she mumbled. "I don't know how things like this work in Underland, but where I'm from, people don't just go around…" she trailed off.

"Alice," he whispered "if you want to stop, just say so."

She looked fearfully into his eyes. "I want you, but I can't shake the feeling that this is wrong."

He gently stroked her cheek. "I love you Alice," he told her. "If you aren't ready, then I'll wait until you are. I'll wait forever if I have to. If you want to get married then we will." He paused. "But you might have to explain that one to me; I have no idea what it is."

Despite herself, Alice giggled. He could always make her laugh even when she wanted to crawl under a rock and hide. Tarrant grinned and kissed her softly. He started to move off of her, but stopped when Alice wrapped her legs around his waist. He looked at her face, confusion written clearly across his pale face. "Just because something is wrong, doesn't mean I don't want to do it anyway," she whispered.

Tarrant grinned. "My, my, you are quite mischievous, aren't you love?"

Alice grinned back and kissed him again. She hesitantly moved her hands to the clasp of his pants and started fumbling with it. She managed to undo it and pushed the fabric from his hips, leaving him in only his underwear.

Tarrant felt his swollen manhood get even harder as his pants hit the floor, if that was possible. _'I want her so badly,' _he thought as he pulled her chemise off, baring her breasts. He caressed her perfect mounds softly, making her shiver in delight. She arched into his touch, her eyelids fluttering. Determined not to be the only one bared, Alice pushed his underwear down, leaving him completely naked above her. Alice felt her gaze slip down to his manhood. As her eyes settled on it, she couldn't help but gasp. The first time she had seen it, it had been limp, but now it was long, hard, and so _big_. She snapped her stare back up to his eyes and saw the same traces of embarrassment in his face as the first time she had seen him unclothed.

"Never be ashamed of your body," she whispered. "Not in front of me."

He looked into her eyes and slowly pushed her underwear off her hips. He kissed her softly, savoring her taste. "I love you," he murmured.

"I love you too."

He kissed her once more and plunged into her.

~Dawn~

Alice had never known that such pleasure even existed, let alone that Tarrant could give it to her. She was breathing hard and covered in sweat. She was lying next to Tarrant in his bed and he was still buried inside her. Neither of them could bear the loss of contact right now, so he remained inside her while they were tangled in each other's arms. Alice was lying on top of him, her head over his head which was still beating erratically. She knew hers was as well and she also knew that he could feel it against his chest.

"I love you," she panted.

"I love you too," he breathed.

"I feel like I could stay here forever," Alice mumbled.

Tarrant squeezed her tightly. "That's all I could ever ask for love."

"I love it when you call me that."

"Well love, that's good to hear, because I love calling you that."

Alice smiled and leaned down with the honest intention of kissing him lightly, but her kiss quickly morphed into him on top of her and them kissing passionately. She could feel him getting hard inside her again. Alice grudgingly broke the kiss, but Tarrant was undeterred. He simply moved to her neck, growing harder the entire time.

"Tarrant, stop," she gasped. He immediately stopped and lifted his head away from her neck.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"We need to get up," she said. "It's already dawn."

Despite his disappointment, Tarrant gently slid out of her, causing her to hiss at the loss of contact. He wasn't going to pressure her into anything she didn't want, no matter how much he wanted to. He had already gotten her pregnant, so he was going to respect her when it came to everything else.

'_I wonder if she even wants this child,' _he thought suddenly as he rolled onto his back. What if she didn't? What would he do? What would _she _do?

"Alice?" he asked.

"Hmm?" she hummed, laying her head on his chest.

"Do you want this child?"

She looked up at him, a stunned look on her face. "Do _you?_" she asked.

"Of course I do!" he yelped. "Do you?" he asked again.

"I've never wanted anything more in my life," she mumbled, looking down and fiddling with the sparse hairs on his chest.

Tarrant tipped her chin up. "I'm glad. I would never be able to forgive myself if I had done this to you and you didn't want it."

"Hatter, you've got to stop blaming yourself for this," Alice rebuked. "It's no one's fault, and if it was, blame would belong to both of us."

Tarrant looked at her oddly. "That is the first time in a while you've called me Hatter."

"Is that a problem?" she asked, propping herself up on his bare chest.

"Of course not love, I just wasn't expecting it." He grinned slyly. "After hearing you scream my name so much, I must say, hearing you call me Hatter is a bit odd."

Alice blushed furiously and smacked his chest playfully. "Not funny," she grumbled.

"Did I say it was?" he asked flippantly.

"I guess not," she groused.

Tarrant chuckled. "No need to be embarrassed love," he told her.

"If we keep this pace up, we'll never get out of bed," Alice said.

"I can live with that," he teased.

Alice swatted his chest again and slipped out of his bed. She could feel his eyes on her as she picked up her dress. Quickly she pulled it on and turned to him. "Do you plan on getting up today?"

Tarrant grinned at her and climbed out of his bed. He stretched luxuriously, causing Alice to flush once again. He chuckled and pulled on his underwear and pants, leaving only his chest bare. "Better?" he asked lightheartedly.

"You were fine," she mumbled.

"How is it," he asked, tilting her chin up with his fingers "that you can be bold enough to ask me to make love to you, but the moment you see my naked, you look like all the blood in your body has taken up residence in your cheeks? You will touch me without a problem, but _seeing _me makes you blush."

"I don't know," she muttered.

He kissed her quickly. "That is just weird," he informed her. "But it doesn't matter. I still love you."

"I love you too."

"Come let us go to breakfast," he said, reaching for her hand. She took it happily and they strode out of the room, hand in hand. "It's nice to be able to hold your hand without being ashamed," he said softly. "Or afraid," he added in an even softer tone.

"Afraid? Why would you be afraid?"

"I was always so afraid that if I tried, you would leave and I would never see you again," he murmured in an undertone.

"Tarrant, you truly are the most oblivious creature I've ever met," Alice said dryly.

"I am?" he asked. "How so?"

"I tried my hardest to show that I liked you as more than a friend, but you never once noticed my attempts."

"Alice, I _did _notice," he told her. "But I was afraid that I was imagining it, so I never said anything. I didn't want to lose you."

"Hatter, you wouldn't have lost me, even if I didn't care for you as more than a friend. I wouldn't leave simply because you had feelings for me."

"Alice, if you knew the full extent of my feelings for you, you would leave. You would flee back to Overland." He spat the last word out as if it were a bad taste in his mouth.

"I will never leave you," she vowed. "Not until Death claims me as his."

Tarrant stopped walking. He looked her strait in the eye. "Do you know what the Nexus Vitae is?" he asked. When she shook her head, he explained. "It is an Outlandish term that cannot be translated into this tongue, but I will do my best to explain." He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. "When two people know for sure that they will spend the rest of eternity together, they will go through a complex ceremony that will bind the two together until the end of time, even through death. If one is close to death, they will be able to draw upon the others strength to keep them alive, no matter the distance between them. They will always be able to find one another, even if one is in Overland and the other is in Underland. There will always be an inexplicable bond between the two people that will never fade. If it were up to me, I would go through this ceremony with you."

Alice was silent for a long time. She studied his face, for what, Tarrant did not know. After a while, she seemed to find what she was looking for. "Would you like to do it?" she asked.

Tarrants brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Would you like to perform this Nexus Vitae?" she clarified.

His eyes widened. "Alice, think about this. Once it is done, it can never be undone. The Nexus Vitae is something you would have to live with for eternity."

"Eternity is just long enough," she said seriously.

"Alice, I'm not saying no, I just want you to be sure this is what you want."

"It is," she said firmly. "I want to be bonded with you in every possible way."

"Then shall we discuss the Nexus Vitae in detail over breakfast?" he asked. "I want you to know what you're getting into."

"Lead the way Mr. Hightopp," she said.

He complied and quickly led her through the twisting hallways to the kitchen. They swiftly gathered up their breakfast and went too Alice's room. When the door was safely closed and locked they sat down and started talking.

"So what all do I need to know about this Nexus Vitae?" Alice asked.

"What I've already told you covered most of what you need to know, but there is more," he told her. "If one of us is in pain, physical or emotional, the other will feel it. Any strong emotion will be shared. If I were to think of you, you would be able to sense it, and vice versa. If you were in danger, I would be able to tell. Everything goes both ways, so you would be able to tell as well. And there are the physical marks that show up on your body after the Nexus Vitae was performed. Yes, there will be a pattern that shows up on your skin, the place and pattern will be different for every pair, so I cannot tell you what it'll look like," he said when he saw her confused expression. "The Nexus Vitae shows the deepest amount of love between two people possible in Underland. Are you sure you want it?"

"What do I have to say to show you that I do?" Alice asked. "I want to be bonded to you in all possible ways."

"If you are sure, then I will find someone to perform the ceremony," Tarrant said solemly.

Alice smiled faintly. "When?" she asked.

"As soon as breakfast is over," he promised.

Alice grinned and leaned over to kiss him. He kissed her back while tangling his hands in her hair, gently holding her to him. He felt her wind her arms around his neck and pull herself closer to him. Making a snap decision, Tarrant pulled Alice into his lap. She squeaked in surprise, but remained seated in his lap. Tarrant grinned and kissed her sweetly.

"I love you," he whispered against her lips.

"I love you too," she murmured. She pulled away from his kiss and nestled her head into his shoulder.

"At this rate, breakfast will never end," Tarrant said laughingly.

"Normally I'd say 'I can live with that', but at the moment, I don't think I can," she murmured against his skin. "Maybe I should move."

"I don't think so," he growled, snaring an arm around her slender waist. "You should right where you are."

"If you say so," she chuckled, leaning back on his chest. "But I think you're right. This meal will never end at this rate."

"Love, all great things must come to an end at one point or another," Tarrant said sadly.

**Sorry about the delay. I got dreadfully sick, and I don't think anyone needs details. But anyway, I'm better now and committed to getting this chapter posted! I hope you enjoyed yourselves! And by the way, I think you guys should review…just a suggestion though! One I highly advise you take! Haha I'm kidding! But seriously, please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm back and ready to rumble! This is going to be kind of a filler chapter before the Nexus Vitae, but I hope you will still like it. **

Alice looked at her lover strangely. "What do you mean by that?" she asked curiously.

"Exactly what I said," Tarrant said as if there was no other option. "When has a great thing ever lasted forever?" he asked rhetorically.

"Never, I guess," she muttered unhappily.

"All the more reason to enjoy the greatness while we can!"

Alice giggled and laid her head on his shoulder. They sat in a contented silence for a few minutes, Tarrant gently tracing the contours of her spine with his fingertips. Alice closed her eyes and allowed herself to enjoy the contact to the point that chills broke out across her skin.

"Do you enjoy that?" Tarrant asked her quietly.

"Mm-hmm," she murmured.

Tarrant continued to caress her back for a while, enjoying her happiness. When he finally forced his hands to still, Alice was disappointed. She looked up at him with large eyes, their normal blue color flecked with silver.

"Alice!" he squeaked. "Your eyes!"

Alice blinked rapidly. "What about them?" she asked worriedly.

"They changed color!" he cried. "Only a Hightopp's eyes change color!"

Alice's brow furrowed. She thought for a moment. "Is it possible that since I am carrying the child of a Hightopp, that some of the traits of the Hightopp's have been passed into me?" she asked.

Tarrant thought for several moments. "I've never heard of a Hightopp having a child with someone outside the clan before, so I have no idea," he said honestly.

Alice looked suddenly panicked. "So you have no idea what could possibly happen?" she asked frantically. "Not only am I not from your clan, I'm not even from Underland!"

"Alice, I'm sure everything will be fine," he said soothingly. "There is no proof that anything will go wrong."

"Has someone from Underland ever had a child with someone from Overland?" she asked.

"Alice…"

"Has it ever happened?" she persisted.

"People have tried," he admitted. "But it has always ended badly."

"Badly?" she repeated. There was an odd lack of emotion in her voice. She appeared to be keeping her face carefully blank, no trace of any type of emotion in her features. Her complete lack of expression unnerved Tarrant.

"Yes," he said uncomfortably.

"Badly how?" she asked with the same lack of feeling.

Tarrant shifted his gaze away from her face, refusing to answer.

"Tarrant," she said coldly "If something bad is going to happen to me or our baby, then I have a right to know."

He snapped his gaze back down to hers. "I will not worry you with uncertainties. There is no guarantee that something bad will happen, so I shall not worry you with it."

"Tarrant…" she said lowly.

He shook his head. "No Alice, you needn't worry about it. I don't want to worry you with that which may never come to be. Forget about it."

"You know I won't forget about it," she said reluctantly. "But I will leave it alone for now."

He kissed her forehead. "Thank you love."

Alice didn't answer him. She just stood up and looked at him expectantly. He took the hint and stood up as well. Extending an arm for her, he spoke. "Shall we find someone to perform our ceremony?" he asked with newfound cheer.

Alice took his arm with a gleeful grin, her earlier coldness disappearing like dew in the morning sun. "We shall."

The pair of them quickly exited the room and through an unspoken agreement, made their way toward the throne room. On the way there, they ran into the Tweedles.

"Alice!" they exclaimed together. The looks of childish joy on their faces were enough to light up the whole of Marmoreal.

"Hello Tweedles!" Alice said with equal delight.

"Why are you and the Hatter holdin' onto each other like that?" Tweedledee asked. "Are you two bonded?"

"No, they can't be," Tweedledum grumbled. "There would've had a big ceremony, and I'm certain they would've invited us!"

"Contrariwise, they wouldn't have to invite us, so they could be!" Tweedledee punctuated his sentence with a punch to his twins arm.

Tweedledum returned the blow forcefully. "No they would've invited us!"

"They mightn't have!" Tweedledee cried, hitting his brother again.

"Yes!"

"No!"

The two of them were now hitting each other almost nonstop. Tarrant knew that if someone didn't step in soon they would hurt each other, so he stepped in, saying "Boys, calm down! Alice and I are not bonded, but we plan to be soon."

"Ohhh…" they murmured in unison.

"We were actually on our way to see if Mirana would perform the ceremony for us," Alice added.

"Mirana?" Tweedledee asked.

"The White Queen you imbecile," Tweedledum growled.

"Why would they go to the White Queen? They should go to Absolem! He always performs the Nexus Vitae!"

"Do you know where he is?" Alice asked eagerly.

"I am right here, stupid girl." The blue butterfly landed on her shoulder as her spoke.

"Hello Absolem," Alice answered, ignoring the insult.

He ignored the niceties. "What do you need me for?" he asked.

"We would like you to perform the Nexus Vitae for us," Tarrant answered quickly.

"Why?" he asked lazily.

"We must be bonded to help assure the worst doesn't happen to the child Alice bears," he said quietly. "That and we love each other and want to be bonded."

"Is this true Champion?"

"Yes," she said evenly.

"Then I will perform the ceremony tomorrow," he said just before he fluttered away.

"Tomorrow?" Alice repeated. "So soon."

"Is soon a problem?" Tarrant asked.

"Never," she said quickly.

"Good," he beamed at her as he answered.

At that moment, Thackery bounded around a corner. "Yer all late fer tea!"

**Well that's my lame little filler chapter. I hope you enjoyed. The next chapter will be longer and will hold the Nexus Vitae in it. Until then, I say adieu.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you all for being so patient with me, I know it's been a while, but now the mysterious Nexus Vitae will be revealed! **

Alice was pacing around her bedroom nervously. Tarrant had told her she didn't have to wear anything special for the ceremony, but she wanted to look nice. This was the closest she was ever likely to get to a wedding, so she wanted to look good, but she was also afraid that she would look a fool if she came in overdressed. In an attempt to put an end to her internal ravings, Alice opened her wardrobe and tried to find something suitable. After several minutes of deliberation, she finally settled upon a deep green dress that had a single strap that would wrap around her neck. It was tight around the chest and torso she realized as she pulled it on. It flared out around her hips and went down to the floor. There was a floral pattern starting just below her bosom that reached down to about mid-thigh. All in all, it was simple, yet elegant at the same time. Just as she finished adjusting the dress, someone knocked at the door.

"Come in," she called.

The door opened an in walked Mirana. She was garbed in her usual white from head to toe. "Beautiful dress. Are you ready?" she asked in her lilting tone. Alice nodded silently, suddenly unable to find her voice. "Do you know what to do?" the queen asked. Alice shook her head. "When we get to the throne room, everyone should already be assembled. You will walk down the center aisle, just as you did the first time you were here. Tarrant will be waiting for you, and Absolem will be standing on a pedestal at eye level. Just repeat after him when he tells you too. You won't likely understand what he says: it will all be in Outlandish." Alice nodded again and followed the Queen out of her room. They quickly made their way to the throne room. They paused outside and Mirana hugged Alice. "Good luck," she whispered.

"Thank you," Alice said thickly.

Mirana gave her a little push toward the door. "Go on then," she said cheerfully.

Alice took a deep breath and pushed open the doors easily. Inside, there were relatively few people. She recognized every single face there to varying degrees. The Tweedles, McTwisp, Mally, Chessur, Uilleam, Thackery, among others. Last but certainly not least, was Tarrant Hightopp. He was dressed in a bright amethyst suit, one that actually fit him, instead of leaving his brightly colored socks in plain view. As always, his precious hat was sitting atop his head. The last thing Alice looked at were his eyes. They were the brightest green she had ever seen them.

Alice registered all of this in the moments she stood in the doorway. Just a few short moments before she started walking toward her destiny.

**A/N: Wouldn't it be so mean if I stopped right here? Would you all hate me?**

**Well, while we are here, how are you doing? Good? Bad? Terrible? Come on, don't be shy! Speak up! No? Well fine then.**

**Will you at least tell me how I'm doing so far? No? Fine then! Gosh you are so rude! **

**For those of you who didn't simply scroll right past this, Uilleam is the dodo bird from the movie. Yeah I thought you should know. **

**Please continue and enjoy!**

Alice reached Tarrant in what she knew could not be more than a few moments, but it felt like it took an eternity to reach him. When she finally _did_ reach him, Absolem spoke to them. "Join hands," he said in his low voice. They complied and intertwined their fingers. "Tarrant, repeat after me," he ordered. Tarrant nodded and Absolem started the ceremony. "Alice, das verspreche ich, dort zu sein, wenn Sie michbrauchen, loyal zu sein, ehrlich, treu und wahr. Ich möchteden Rest der Ewigkeit mit dir verbringen, und wird alles tun, um ypu sicher zu halten. Ich liebe dich, jetzt und immerdar."

"Alice, das verspreche ich, dort zu sein, wenn Sie michbrauchen, loyal zu sein, ehrlich, treu und wahr. Ich möchteden Rest der Ewigkeit mit dir verbringen, und wird alles tun, um ypu sicher zu halten. Ich liebe dich, jetzt und immerdar," Tarrant said, sounding serious.

'_He understands every word of what he is saying,' _Alice realized.

"Alice, repeat after me," the blue butterfly told her. "Tarrant, das verspreche ich, dort zu sein, wenn Sie michbrauchen, loyal zu sein, ehrlich, treu und wahr. Ich möchteden Rest der Ewigkeit mit dir verbringen, und wird alles tun, um ypu sicher zu halten. Ich liebe dich, jetzt und immerdar."

"Tarrant, das verspreche ich, dort zu sein, wenn Sie michbrauchen, loyal zu sein, ehrlich, treu und wahr. Ich möchteden Rest der Ewigkeit mit dir verbringen, und wird alles tun, um ypu sicher zu halten. Ich liebe dich, jetzt und immerdar," she said, trying not to stumble over the unfamiliar words. When the incantation was finished, Alice felt an odd sensation creeping across her shoulders and upper back. It took all of her self control not to let go of Tarrants hands and scratch furiously at the uncomfortable feeling. She could tell by the look on his face that Tarrant felt it too. When finally the sensation faded, the entire congregation behind her gasped. Alice started at the noise. She had forgotten they were there.

"Look at her beautiful Mark," Mally gasped. Only then did Alice remember that the dress left her back bare. Also she remembered what Tarrant had told her about the mark appearing on them after the ceremony. Hers must be on her shoulders and back. She wondered if Tarrants was in the same place.

"That is the most exquisite Mark I have ever seen," Chessur purred in delight.

Slowly Tarrant turned her around so he could see the Mark on her back. She heard his quiet gasp and felt his finger trace the symbol on her back. "So beautiful," he murmured.

"Someone fetch a mirror," Absolem said, trying to act nonchalant about it, but everyone could hear the delight in his voice.

Alice heard footsteps leave the room. A few minutes later, the person came back with two mirrors in her hands. She handed one to Alice and the other to Tarrant. When they were positioned so she could see her Mark, Alice could not help but gasp.

The Mark was light blue, and matched her eyes perfectly. It was a swirling pattern the covered her shoulders and most of her back. Some of the tendrils went below the dress, but most of it was above where she could see it. It swirled all over her back, in a pattern so complex, it was impossible to follow one strand to its end before you started following another one. It looked like it could be a floral pattern, but not quite. It was different somehow and Alice loved it. It was exotic, yet familiar all at the same time. In between the swirls were alien symbols that she had no idea what they could possibly mean. The only thing she could tell for sure was that the tendrils spelled out all of her love for Tarrant, even if they said nothing. Her Mark was her love for her hatter personified. She could not love it more.

Alice was filled to the brim with an overwhelming amount of love for the man she had just tied herself to. As her emotions shifted from wonder to passion, the Mark on her back shifted from blue to purple. "It changed colors!" she yelped.

"It will change colors with you mood," Absolem said lazily.

"It will?" she asked.

"I just said it would," he snapped.

"Change…" she trailed off, lowering the mirror.

"You do know what purple means, right?" Tarrant whispered in her ear so only she could hear, then ever softer, he answered his own question. "Love," he said huskily.

"Love," she whispered. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back. "Love."

~Fifteen Minutes Later~

Everyone had filed outside for the Underland equivalent of a wedding reception. There was food, drink, dancing, singing, and plenty of fun. As was the custom in Underland and in Overland, Alice and Tarrant had the first dance. The song was unfamiliar to Alice, but she still enjoyed it. Well, she mostly enjoyed being close to her- for lack of a better term- husband. She made a mental note to ask about that later.

When the song was over, Tarrant captured her lips in a gentle kiss, and everyone cheered. They broke apart after a moment and moved away from where they had been dancing. Before they could sit down, Thackery hurled himself at Alice with a wild cry of "Congratulations!" He made contact with her stomach and Alice doubled over in agony. The pain caused her vision to start blacking out, and the last thing she saw before she lost her vision and consciousness was Tarrant's terrified face.

**What did that crazy hare do this time? Review and I'll tell you! And the incantation for the Nexus Vitae was German for "I promise to be there when you need me to be loyal, honest, faithful and true. I'd spend the rest of eternity with you and will do everything to keep you safe. I love you, now and forever." I used an online translator, so it might be a bit off, but that was the general idea.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Time to see what happened after Thackery hit Alice in the stomach. Will the baby, potentially babies, be okay? Read and find out!**

The first thing Alice saw when she came too was Tarrant's worried face. His normally bright green eyes were now a somber bluish-black color. He didn't realize that she was awake yet because he was talking to someone that Alice could not see. When she tried to turn her head to see whom he was speaking too, a ripple of pain shot through her body and Alice gasped.

The instant the noise left her lips Tarrant stopped speaking and focused on Alice. He said something that Alice couldn't understand, but apparently she was supposed to, because he looked even more worried when she didn't answer him. He kept speaking to her until she could understand his words.

"-love you have to answer me!" he cried. "Answer me, come on, don't die."

"I'm fine," she croaked.

"She is," someone assured him. He stepped into Alice's field of view and she realized that he was a doctor. "The one you should worry about is the child she carries."

"_What?_" Alice shrieked, her hands flying to her stomach.

The doctor remained calm as he explained. "When a woman is with a child and she takes a hard blow to the stomach, sometimes the child can be injured or even killed."

"No," Alice breathed. "No."

"How would we know?" Tarrant asked tightly.

"There is no way to tell if the child is injured, but if it has died, the mother will bleed," he explained.

"Bleed?" Alice repeated.

"From where?" Tarrant asked.

The doctor leaned forward and whispered something into Alice's ear. She went pale and struggled to sit up. Tarrant helped her and was surprised when she stood up. "What are you doing?" he asked worriedly.

"Checking for blood," she grunted. Without another word she hobbled into the washroom. Neither Tarrant nor the doctor spoke while they waited anxiously. After several long minutes, Alice finally came back out.

"Well?" Tarrant asked apprehensively.

"No blood," she whispered.

"No blood?" he repeated breathlessly. "No blood… That's great!" he cried. He rushed toward Alice and picked her up in a massive hug and spun her around. When he set her back down on her feet, the doctor spoke up. "There is still a chance that the child may have been injured," he warned.

His words immediately darkened the mood as well as Tarrant eyes. They went from a joyfully bright green to somber amber. "Well we will jus' have ta wait an' see won' we?" he said in a thick brogue.

The doctor nodded. "I'll leave you now." And with that he left the room. Neither Alice nor Tarrant spoke for a long time. They were both trying to absorb what had happened.

They were finally jolted into action when there was a knock on the door. Alice answered it and was surprised to see Thackery there. He had his ears lowered and looked guilty. "May I come in?" he asked hesitantly.

"Of course," Alice said, stepping aside so he could enter.

When Tarrant saw the hare enter the room, his eyes went from amber to blood red. "Wha' is tha' slurvish pile' o' mangy fur doin' 'ere?" he growled.

"I-I wanted to say-" he started.

"Ah don' care wha' ye have ta say," Tarrant snarled. "Jus' ge' outta 'ere 'fore Ah ge' ye owt mah own way." He looked at the window threateningly.

"Hatter, my friend, just here me out," the hare pleaded.

"Nae," he snapped. "Ge' owt or Ah'll thro' ye owt tha window', ye filthy pile o' hat material."

"Hatter," Alice hissed. "He didn't do anything! Just let him speak."

Tarrant glared at her and looked like he would like to tell her off, but Alice didn't back down. She met his steely gaze head on, confident that he wouldn't hurt her. But he wouldn't back down either. He continued to stare her down, his eyes growing ever darker until they bordered on black. "No," he said darkly.

"Why not?" she challenged.

"_That,_" he spat venomously while pointing at Thackery "could've killed our child! Before it had a chance to live!" He was so furious that his brogue disappeared.

"_That,_" Alice hissed harshly "has a name!"

"Why should I care?" he howled. "He could've killed our child!"

"Why do you hate him so much?" she demanded. "It was an accident! Why does this hurt you so?" The moment the words left her mouth, Alice regretted it. She should've _known_ why he was so angry. "Tarrant, please forgive me, I wasn't thinking," she pleaded.

"Neither was I when I told you of the Nexus Vitae," he growled lowly. Then he left the room.

Alice was stunned. She never expected him to regret telling her about that. Without her noticing it, tears started rolling down her face. Her confidence that he wouldn't hurt her had just been shattered. Thackery moved over to her and gently tugged her toward the bed. She collapsed onto it and the March Hare climbed up next to her. He took one of her hands in his paws and murmured comforting words to her quietly. Alice didn't ask him to leave. She was glad he was there. She didn't want to be alone right now. For once she was unashamed to cry in front of someone, something she hadn't been comfortable with since her father had died.

~Elsewhere~

Tarrant was fuming. He couldn't believe that damn rabbit had the _nerve_ to show up after hurting Alice. _His _Alice.

'_I'm going to turn that filthy pile of mangy fur into a hat next time I see him!' _he thought furiously.

The Hatter continued to make his way through the winding corridors of Marmoreal, not having a destination in mind. Every time he heard voices or footsteps, he would alter course to avoid an encounter with anyone. He had his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles were whiter than usual. To let out some of his rage, Tarrant hauled off and punched a wall with as much force as he could generate. There was a sickening crack and Tarrant hissed in pain. He looked at his hand and realized that he had broken it. There were bones sticking out of his skin and it was bleeding.

'_Damn it!' _he thought angrily. _'How am I supposed to work like this?'_

He tried to move his hand, but found it would not respond. With a heavy sigh he turned around and went back to Alice's room. He had heard her speak about a man getting injured on a ship while she was traveling to China. According to her, he had similar injuries to the ones Tarrant had now. He hoped she would help him fix his hand, but after what he had said to her, he doubted she would.

"I made a boneheaded mistake and now I have to pray that she will forgive me," he muttered.

~Alice's Room~

Alice heard someone knock on the door, but she didn't care. She wanted to be left alone right now, aside from Thackery. The person knocked again. Obviously whoever it was wasn't going to leave her alone. Alice reluctantly got to her feet and walked to the door. When she opened it and saw who was standing there, she slammed the door in his face.

"Alice, please," Tarrant begged, slightly muffled through the door.

She opened the door. "What do you want?" she asked coldly.

Silently, he held up his injured hand and showed it to her. "Help," he said softly.

Alice, being a helpful person by nature, stood aside and let him enter. He walked in slowly and stood awkwardly. "Sit," she said shortly, gesturing toward the bed. He did as he was told and sat on the edge of the bed. Thackery eyed him warily and jumped off the bed.

"I'm going to go now," he said to Alice.

"Alright," she said. "Have a nice day." He nodded to her and slipped out of the room before Tarrant could turn him into a hat.

Tarrant watched as Alice rummaged through her washroom. When she came back out, she had an armful of what looked like surgical instruments. "Do I even want to know why you have those?" he joked in an effort to lighten the mood. His efforts were met with a frosty glare.

"Let me see your hand," she ordered.

He offered up his hand without protest and she set to work inspecting the injury. She stood up. "Come," she said. He stood up and followed her into the washroom. She held her hand out and Tarrant placed his injured one in it. She started to clean it and he winced.

"I didn't mean it," he whispered.

"I know," she said. "You were speaking out of anger."

"I still shouldn't have said it," he said. His head hung in shame.

"It is in the past," she said without taking her eyes off his hand.

Tarrant winced in pain. "I still feel like I should make it up to you. After basically saying that I regret tying myself to you, how can you not be furious?"

"After some of the things people have said and done to me, that was not anything to be angry for an extended time over," she said bitterly.

**I'm going to end this chapter here because I cannot think strait. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I hope you'll review. Peace for now!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Time to find out what Alice's cryptic remark at the end of chapter 7 was all about. This chapter will contain things that are not appropriate for younger readers. I'll post a warning so you can skip it if you want. Just a warning, this will be my last update for about a week. I'm going to 4H camp and won't be able to work on the story while I'm there. Sorry everyone!**

Alice and Tarrant winced at the same time as she continued to work on his shattered hand. He couldn't bring himself to look at what she was doing, for fear he would be sick. Instead he decided to ask her about her strange comment.

"What do you mean," they winced again "by that?" he asked, finishing his sentence through gritted teeth. He could see that her jaw was clenched as well.

"Exactly what I said," she hissed. Whether she was hissing at him, or because of the pain, Tarrant was unsure. "After some of the things that happened to me in China, what you said isn't something I am going to stay angry about."

"What exactly happened?" he asked as he eyed the instrument in her hand. He didn't know what it was, but it didn't look pretty.

"Why does it matter?" she asked, wincing again. "It's in the past."

"I would still like to know," he said cautiously.

Alice didn't answer; she instead focused on his hand. She picked up a jar of something and slathered the clear goo on his mutilated hand. He made the mistake of looking at it and was surprised. Most of the bone shards were back in their usual places, with only a few still poking through his skin.

"How did you do that so quickly?" he demanded.

"Practice, practice, practice," she muttered. Her mind was obviously elsewhere.

"Alice," he said softly "what happened?"

Alice put the jar away and wiped her hands on a rag before speaking. "When I was on the ship to China, there was a man named Ian. He was very kind and didn't treat me like a lower life form just because I am was woman. At first, our relationship was strictly platonic, but it wasn't enough for him. He wanted more. More than I was willing to give. So he took it. He came into my room in the middle of the night and tried to…" she trailed off and focused on his hand. "I broke his nose and he left, saying he would get what he wanted eventually, and that I was a stupid whore who shouldn't even be on the ship to begin with."

Tarrant was horrified, but he could also feel rage, hurt, sorrow, and betrayal coursing through him. With a jolt he realized that he was feeling not only his emotions, but Alice's as well. "I still don't see why that was worse than what I said," he whispered. "He didn't actually _do_ anything."

"Just because he didn't _rape_ me," she spat "doesn't mean he didn't _do_ anything."

"What happened?" he asked intently.

The flood of memories hit him like a battering ram. At first he could only make out random images, but then everything snapped into place and he saw everything.

**A/N: Skip this part if you don't want to read about Alice almost having her innocence stolen. I'll post another A/N when it's over. **

_Her door creaked open and Alice sat upright in the darkness. She couldn't see who had entered her room, just his silhouette. She vaguely recognized the form, but her sleep-fogged brain wouldn't register who he was._

"_Who's there?" she called sleepily. The man didn't answer her; he just stepped in and shut the door. Hearing the lock click snapped Alice into action. "Who is it?" she demanded._

"_Shhhh," the man said soothingly. "Just lay back down."_

"_Ian?" she asked. "Is that you?"_

"_Yes my love, now just lie down and relax," he whispered. _

_She felt Ian push on her shoulders lightly, trying to make her lie back. When she resisted, he started pushing harder. Alice pushed his hands away and stood up. "What are you doing?" she hissed angrily. _

"_Something we've both wanted to do for a while," he purred seductively. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. She could feel his arousal against her stomach and pushed him away. "Get off me," she snarled._

"_Come on," he whispered. "You know you want it. You know you want me."_

_Alice shoved him away again and stepped back. "Do not touch me," she growled. _

_Ian's face hardened. He shoved Alice back onto the bed and pounced on her. Placing his lips be her ear, he whispered, "I will get what I want, one way or another." He proceeded to rip off her nightgown, leaving her in little more than scraps of cloth to cover her. Stroking the side of one of her breasts, Ian leaned down and kissed Alice's unwilling mouth. As he started to remove her underwear, Alice shoved him away and punched him in the nose. "Get out," she snarled._

_Ian was cupping a broken nose. "I'll get you eventually," he snarled. "I will get you, you stupid whore! You are a plaything, nothing more than a strumpet here for our entertainment! If you refuse me again, you won't live to tell the tale," he vowed before exiting the room._

Tarrant wanted to ask her questions, but the next memory hit him before he could open his mouth. This one was worse than the last.

_Alice was sitting in a dark, slimy corner of a distant alleyway. She was broken and bleeding. She had a black eye forming, two cuts above the other eye that were pouring blood, bruises all over her naked body, burns, cuts, slashes, and a whole other manner of horrifying injuries, namely a broken wrist that looked like it might require amputation if not seen to immediately. _

"_I told you if you didn't give me what I want, you wouldn't live to tell the tale, and now you see it wasn't an empty threat. I will leave you here for the rats to defile your body, and when I come back tomorrow and find you dead, I will take what I want," Ian purred silkily. Then he walked away, leaving her broken and naked._

_Alice didn't move for a long time, too tired to do anything, even open her eyes. When the coldness set in, she was unable even to shiver. She realized in the back of her mind that death was coming, but could not summon the energy to do anything about it or even to care._

"_Alice," a voice whispered in her ear. For a split moment, Alice thought that Ian had come back to finish the job, but somewhere in the back of her mind she knew who it was. It was her hero, come to save her just in time. "Alice you have to get up," the voice told her._

'_I don't want to,' she thought. 'I want to stay here and talk to you!'_

"_Alice, get up," the voice told her sternly. "You have to get up! It is not yet your time to join me in the next world!"_

'_Does it hurt?' she asked, again thinking her questions. "Dying?"_

"_It will if you don't get up!" he hissed. "Where is the little girl I knew? She would fight for anything she believed in, and now she sits, broken and dying in some slimy hole in the middle of nowhere!"_

'_I want to come with you,' she thought weakly. 'I miss you so much. Please don't make me go…'_

"_I'm not making you go, I'm making you live!" the voice told her softly. "I will always be with you, if you will pick yourself up and live."_

'_I-I will,' she vowed. 'I will live, just stay.'_

"_I never left…" the voice faded away into nothingness. _

"_No!" Alice screamed. "Don't go! I need you!" In her desperation to find the man she missed so much, Alice started crawling out of the dark corner she was in, desperate to find the only one who understood her. Her pleas did not go unanswered. A man found her, though not the one she wanted. The man was older, with graying hair and kind eyes. He pulled off his jacket and wrapped it around her naked body, then lifted her up and took her to his home. There, he and his wife helped care for her. When she was able, she left them, offering her eternal gratitude to them, and went back to the ship that would take her home. _

**A/N: The worst part is over, so now you can read on like nothing ever happened!**

Tarrant was unable to form coherent thoughts after what he had just seen. Alice brutalized and left for dead. He now understood why Alice hadn't let what he said get to her. He now understood why she had been so terrified when they had woken up together. "I am so sorry," he whispered.

"It's done with," she said stiffly. "I want to forget about it."

"Alice…" he said softly.

"Done," she said, letting go of his hand. It was wrapped in a cloth to protect the stitches he assumed.

"Wow," he said. "That was fast."

"Luckily, you were the only one who couldn't do anything but watch me be used as a plaything," she said bitterly.

"Alice, I'm sorry," he said.

"I don't want your pity," she growled. "I want to forget about this." Knowing he could not win, Tarrant bowed his head and let the subject pass. As much as he hated it, he knew she would speak of this subject any more. "You won't be able to work until your hand heals."

Tarrant's head snapped up in alarm. "_What?_" he squawked.

A sparkle of amusement lit itself in Alice's eyes at his reaction. "You can't work with one hand and I won't let you injure yourself further by straining your hand."

Tarrant pouted. "I won't hurt myself," he said sulkily.

"Well I'm not going to risk you permanently injuring yourself," she snapped teasingly.

"Fine," he muttered sullenly.

"Good boy," she teased, kissing the top of his head and leaving the room.

**Can anyone find the song lyrics I put in the flashbacks? It was an accident at first, but then I was like "I like Skillet, so I'll go with it!" There are two different songs, both by Skillet. Good luck and Fairfarren all! R&R!**


	9. Chapter 9

**I am so sorry about the delay, I had major writers block. Updates will probably slow down a bit from what they usually are (not this slow) now that I'm back in school.**

It was around midnight when Tarrant snuck out of bed. Yes, Alice told him not to work. Yes, he was doing it anyway. He was slipping out of bed in the dead of night so he could work on his beloved hats. Quietly, he crept out of the room they shared. Luckily his workshop was just down the hall, so he could return at a moments' notice. Tarrant felt like a child, sneaking out of his room at night in search of sweets. Closing the door with a quiet thump, he made his way down the hall.

'_One hat,' _he thought to himself. _'Just one. Maybe two if I finish quickly.'_

With that thought firmly in mind, the Mad Hatter slipped into his workshop. He savored the familiar smell of his workshop as he fumbled in the dark to light a candle.

"Having trouble?" a feminine voice asked from the darkness.

'_Drat,' _Tarrant thought. He would recognize that voice anywhere.

_Alice._

"Not at all my dear," he said coolly. "My hand is troubling me a bit, that's all."

"I know," Alice said. "The pain woke me."

"I apologize, love," he murmured, knowing the endearment almost always melted her heart.

_Almost _always.

He couldn't see her, but Tarrant could sense her rising to her feet. She approached him and placed her hands on his wiry chest. "Come to bed," she said softly. "Let your hand heal. Don't hurt yourself more. Don't hurt _me_ more."

Tarrant went weak as soon as she said those magical words. He gave in and allowed her to pull him back to their room.

When they arrived, she crawled into the large bed and curled up on her left side. Unable to resist, he crawled in behind her and cuddled into her back. Wrapping his arms around her, he could feel the bump in her belly that was their unborn child.

**I know it's short, but like I said, I am suffering from writers block and this is all I could get down.**


	10. AN

**No, this is not the next chapter and I'm sorry for getting your hopes up, but I have a question that needs answering. Would you prefer me to write chapters that are contain one moth of Alice's pregnancy, or do you want me to skip it and go straight to the birth and highlight the main points? If I do one chapter for each month, they will be longer but more spaced out, and if I skip to the birth, the chapters will be shorter and closer together. Review or PM me to let me know what you think please!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey everyone, I am so sorry, I cannot begin to express how sorry I am for super long delay! I hope that you guys don't hate me for taking so long to update this! I wish I could have updated sooner, but my computer crashed and everything was wiped off, so now I can only work on my stories at school and the library. Since y'all have waited long enough, I will begin this chapter without further ado!**

"Slow down Alice," Tarrant chastised his beloved. "You're going to get sick. Again."

"I'm fine," Alice mumbled around a mouthful of toast. "I can finally hold down solids, and I am _ravenous_." She shoveled a pile of eggs into her mouth as soon as the words were out of her mouth.

"Even so," he argued. "You don't want to upset the boy!"

"It might be a girl!" Alice growled playfully. They had been having the same argument for the past three months, ever since they had discovered that she was pregnant.

Tarrant chuckled and took his lovers hand, stroking it gently with his calloused thumb. "Either way," he said gently. "You don't want to upset the baby. You know how picky he-"

"Or she!" Alice interjected.

Tarrant smiled and continued. "You know how picky our baby can be. I don't want you to get sick again. You know that you end up feeling terrible all day whenever you do."

"I know," the tiny blonde murmured. She rubbed the growing lump in her abdomen and squeezed her hatter's hand tightly. "She's moving." Alice took his hand that was still clutching hers and pressed it to her belly where she had felt the small flutter of movement. "Can you feel it?"

Eyes narrowing, Tarrant focused on the sensations in his hand. He could feel her pulse throbbing under her skin and her gentle breathing, but nothing else. He still could not feel his- _their_- child as it kicked and turned within his Alice.

"Nothing yet," he answered dejectedly. His eyes were a dull blue and Alice could feel disappointment pulsing through his veins.

"It's okay," she encouraged. "You'll get to feel her eventually."

"But I want to feel him _now_," he whined petulantly, lower lip sticking out adorably.

Alice chuckled. "Well you will just have to be patient." She gently folded her arms over her gradually expanding belly. The baby was still kicking and moving, but the tiny blonde kept that to herself.

"_But Alice!_"

"Tarrant, I cannot make the baby grow faster, so you will just have to wait." Her tone was serious and scolding, but Tarrant could tell that she was teasing him.

"It's not _fair,_" he moaned in mock despair. "He is my baby too, so why can't I feel him?"

"Because _you_," she looked him in the eye and pointed to her stomach "don't have to carry her around in your body for the next six months. Since I _do_, _I_ get to feel her move first!" Alice looked triumphant for a heartbeat before Tarrant reached out suddenly and started tickling her sides. She squealed with mirth and tried to squirm away from his grasping hands. This too, was a familiar ritual. Tarrant would tickle her in the mornings if she wouldn't get out of bed, but he was always careful, so as not to inadvertently hurt the baby. They had already had one close call and were not keen on another one.

"Stop!" Alice gasped. "I can't- breathe!"

Tarrant reluctantly stopped tickling her, but he didn't entirely let go. Instead he pulled her into his lap and held her close. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too." They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes before Alice spoke again. "Is your hand still cramping?"

Tarrant chuckled. "Do you need to ask?"

A small smile spread across Alice's lips as she answered. "I haven't felt anything, but sometimes you've said it was faint, and I didn't feel anything at all."

"I wonder if the bond will strengthen over time?" he mused quietly.

"It does seem as though it has become stronger," Alice answered. "When the ceremony was first done, I could feel everything for a couple days, but then it faded. Now it seems like it is getting stronger again, but slowly."

"It was probably so much stronger in the beginning since we were both so unaccustomed to the sensation of someone else's emotions. It may be waxing now as we become closer and more comfortable to each other's minds in our own."

Alice nodded quietly, sudden drowsiness taking over her. In place of the morning sickness- whoever decided to call it that was a filthy liar- came bouts of sleepiness where Alice could barely keep her eyes open. It didn't matter how well she slept, it would always smack her in the face at random intervals.

"Alice?" Tarrant asked, panic in his usually serene voice. "Are you okay?"

"Mhm," she mumbled. "Just sleepy as usual."

"Let's go," he said without a hesitation, standing up with Alice in his arms. "Off to bed!"

"No!" she grumbled. "I have slept enough!"

"Alice, love," Tarrant murmured gently. "You need to rest; you don't want to overexert yourself."

"I've eaten breakfast. How is that overexerting myself?" she pouted.

Tarrant hesitated. "You're right." Carefully he put her on her own feet. "Would you like to find Tueful and go for a walk?"

"Why do we need Tueful?" Alice asked with a slight tilt of her head.

"In case you get tired, or your feet start to hurt, or you get to hot, or in case you-"

"Hatter!" Alice barked. "I will be fine. I'm only three months along, and I am far from helpless."

"I know," he murmured, snaking his arms around her still-slender waist and pulling her close. "That doesn't mean I don't want to protect you though."

Alice sighed and gently laid her head on his chest. "I know," she whispered. Through their bond, Alice could sense him silently begging for her to agree to finding the Bandersnatch before they left for their walk. He was worried they would get too far away from the palace and Alice would collapse. Having "heard" enough, Alice pulled away from her lover. "What are you waiting for? We have a Bandersnatch to find!"

Tarrant grinned and squeezed her tightly before he released her. Alice, not wanting to be lose contact fully, grasped his hand and allowed him to lead her on a Bandersnatch hunt. A grin pulled at her lips at her hatter's enthusiasm.

**I'm sorry it's so short, but I just cannot figure out what else to put in this chapter without it sounding tacky. I'm sorry! DX**


	12. Chapter 12

**I won't even make excuses. I'll just start the chapter. **  
>Their walk had been successful, if a bit tiring for Alice. Their baby was seemingly displeased with all of the movement, and made its displeasure clear by forcing Alice to nearly collapse after only a few minutes of walking.<br>"Are you feeling any better?" Tarrant asked. He could feel the roiling sickness in her belly, but with the mood his love was currently in, thought it better not to go nosing about in her head.  
>"No," she grumbled. "I feel like my mouth is on fire and my stomach is trying to force its way up my throat. But you knew that, didn't you?" she added dryly.<br>"I didn't want to assume," he said sheepishly. "I figured you'd be angry enough at me."  
>Alice arched an eyebrow at her hatter. "Why would I be angry at you?"<br>"I made you go for a walk, even though you weren't feeling well," he answered, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.  
>"I don't blame you," she answered. "I said yes."<br>"But still, I shouldn't have-"  
>Alice quickly cut him off. "If it is really bothering you that much, you can make it up to me by coming here and keeping me warm until I feel better."<br>A sly grin crept across Tarrant's face. He quickly crawled into the bed beside his beloved and curled up behind her. His strong arms slithered around her waist as he placed a small kiss on the side of her throat. Alice looked at him through amused eyes. "Having fun?" she asked playfully.  
>"You know I am," he murmured, kissing her neck again.<br>Rolling over to face him, Alice cradled his pale face between her petite hands. "If you're going to kiss me, at least do it right," she grumbled.  
>Tarrant grinned mischievously and kissed her on the forehead. This was another game they had developed during the past months.<br>Alice was obviously not in the mood for his games today, as she muttered something under her breath before she pulled his lips to hers and kissed him much more roughly than she normally did.  
>Once he was released from her bruising kiss, the Mad Hatter couldn't help but grin. "Impatient are we?" he teased. Without giving her a chance to respond, he kissed her tenderly. "I love you," he whispered.<br>"I love you too," she murmured as she nuzzled into his broad chest.  
>"Sleep well my love. Sleep well."<p>

Alice awoke suddenly, and for no reason. Well, no good reason. Tarrant had disappeared from her side, leaving her cold and confused.  
>"Tarrant?" she called, her voice thick with sleep. "Where are you?"<br>"I am here, my love," came the smooth reply. Alice looked up to see her hatter striding out of the washroom. "Just had to take care of some things," he said as he slid back into the bed beside her.  
>"Oh," was all Alice said. "Sorry for interrupting."<br>Tarrant pulled his blonde love onto his chest and kissed her hair. "No need to apologize. I was finished anyway."  
>"That's good, then," Alice smiled. "We should probably get out of bed though. What time is it, anyway?"<br>"Not quite midday," the Hatter rumbled.  
>"I really did sleep too long," Alice groaned. "I need to not sleep my life away."<br>Tarrant smiled indulgently. "Whatever you say, my love."  
>Alice frowned. Something seemed off about Tarrant. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something was bothering her. Deciding it was nothing, Alice stood and stretched luxuriously. She glanced over her shoulder. "Coming?" she asked.<br>A slow smile slid onto Tarrant's pale face. "Yes, my love. I just wanted to enjoy the view first."  
>A dark flush crept over Alice's face, staining her normally pale cheeks crimson. "Okay…." she mumbled. "Let's go."<br>Tarrant stood gracefully and stooped to kiss Alice on the mouth. "To lunch?" he asked.  
>"I don't know if I want to try eating again," she worried. "It didn't end so well last time."<br>"You need to eat, my love," Tarrant said gently. "You need to stay strong."  
>"I guess I could try some toast," the petite blonde conceded.<br>A broad smile spread across his full lips. "Let's go then!" He grabbed her hand and tugged her along. When she didn't move, Tarrant looked back at his Alice. "What's wrong?" he asked.  
>"Are you okay?" she asked. "You seem off."<br>Bushy eyebrows arched in surprise. "Off?" he repeated. "Whatever do you mean?"  
>"I just-" she broke off. "Never mind. I'm just imagining things. Let's go get some lunch." With that, she led him out of their room and into the courtyard where they usually ate.<br>"Yes, let's."

Later that night, Alice lay in bed, unable to sleep. She shifted her weight restlessly against Tarrant. He was sleeping peacefully, blissfully unaware of her current sleeplessness. Shifting again, Alice rolled away from her love. He was laying in his back- something he almost never did- and she had been propped up on his chest, but that position left her stomach in uncomfortable knots. She brushed her right hand over her abdomen, stopping over the small protrusion between her hips that was their unborn child.  
>'<em>I guess this is what I get for sleeping all day,'<em> Alice thought grumpily. Gently massaging her belly, she hoped to calm the near frantic movements of their baby._ 'She's never so restless at night. Maybe my sleeping so much through the day has thrown her off.' _  
>A shift from Tarrant pulled Alice out of her musings. He had rolled over to face her, peering through the darkness with half-closed gray eyes. "What's wrong?" he murmured sleepily.<br>"Nothing," she answered. "I'm just feeling a bit restless and can't sleep."  
>Tarrant pulled her to his chest and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. "Would you like me to help with that?" he asked cheekily.<br>Alice grinned. "What did you have in mind?" she asked coyly.  
>Tightening his grip on Alice, the hatter rolled onto his back, dragging her on top of him. "Oh, I don't know," he answered nonchalantly. Flipping them over again, Tarrant attacked her neck with nips and kisses. "What do you think?" he purred seductively.<br>Alice giggled. "I think you're on the right trail."  
>"Good," he growled.<p>

The next morning, Alice woke up feeling sore. She winced when she sat up, but ignored the pain and instead looked around for her lover. He was nowhere to be seen.  
>'<em>That's the second time I've woken up and he's been gone,'<em> Alice worried. '_I wonder what's going on.'_  
>Before she could think any farther, the subject of her concerns sauntered into their room with a tray overflowing with food. At the scent of toast, eggs, and bacon, Alice felt her mouth begin to fill with water.<br>"Good morning, my love," Tarrant said happily. "How did you sleep?"  
>"Quite well, actually." Alice smiled sheepishly. "I was pretty worn out."<br>"That was the idea," her lover smirked. "I hope you're hungry! I made everything I could think of. You didn't eat much yesterday, so I thought you'd be extra hungry this morning, especially after last night's activities."  
>Alice blushed and poked at the eggs in front of her with a fork. She took a bite and a noise of satisfaction left her throat. "That is what I have been craving. Eggs."<br>Tarrant smiled. "I'm glad we finally found something the baby likes."  
>"Me too," Alice mumbled through a mouthful of egg. "Vomiting all the time is most unpleasant."<br>Kissing her on the forehead, Tarrant stood. "I'm going to go take a quick shower. You finish eating."  
>Alice nodded. "I can join you when I'm finished-"<br>"No!" Tarrant looked startled by his own outburst. "I mean, I won't be in long, and I don't want you to eat too fast and upset your stomach."  
>"Uh, okay," Alice mumbled. "Whatever you say."<br>Tarrant kissed her forehead again. "I'll be right back."  
>Alice nodded absentmindedly and continued eating slowly. As soon as Tarrant was out of the room, she put down her fork and focused in on their bond. She couldn't pick up much from him, which was unusual. Normally his mind was as open to her as a book, but today he seemed oddly distant. All she could pick up was a vague jumble of indistinct emotions.<br>'_Maybe he's planning something that he wants to keep a secret,'_ she mused. With that thought firmly in mind, Alice picked up her fork and finished her breakfast. Patting her stomach happily, she stood up and prepared for the day.  
><strong>Well that was a long wait for not a lot of chapter. I'm not going to lie, the delay on this chapter can be blamed on a lot of things, but the main thing is my own laziness. I am so sorry for being such a terrible person! I'd like to give a special thanks to my favorite grandbaby (not biologically, I'm only 17) for continually nagging me about this. You know who you are. Love you all! See you soon!<strong>


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